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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bound — certain
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. degree — from a university
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bulb — for light
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. branch — a division
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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