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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lean — to bend
  4. roll — a list
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. degree — from a university
  8. band — a music group
  9. current — of water
  10. spell — magic
  11. lean — thin
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. band — a ring
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. current — happening now
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. degree — temperature
  23. current — electric
  24. roll — a cake

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