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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. degree — temperature
  3. can — a tin
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bound — tied together
  7. court — of law
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bore — to drill
  10. can — to be able to
  11. drill — army training
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — of a king
  14. drill — the tool
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bound — obliged
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bound — certain
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bore — gave birth

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