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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mate — a partner
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mate — to breed
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rule — government
  9. kick — in football
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rule — a law
  12. mark — a grade
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mark — a trace
  16. degree — temperature
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mate — a friend
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. degree — from a university
  24. kick — a thrill

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