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 120 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. chip — for betting
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rash — hasty
  7. court — of law
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spell — magic
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. court — for sport
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. court — of a king
  24. rash — a series

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