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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. key — for a lock
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. key — in music
  6. hand — help
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hand — in cards
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. degree — from a university
  18. kick — in football
  19. rock — music
  20. court — for sport
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. hand — part of the body

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