ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. mark — a trace
  5. current — happening now
  6. degree — an amount
  7. current — electric
  8. dip — to sink
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rest — a break
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rest — what's left
  15. current — of water
  16. degree — from a university
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. degree — temperature
  20. roll — a list
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mark — a grade
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. dip — a sauce

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com