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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. wake — a trail
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. degree — from a university
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wound — an injury
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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