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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. degree — temperature
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bore — to drill
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pound — a weight
  12. craft — boats
  13. court — of a king
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. pitcher — a jug

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