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 120 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. club — for golf
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. band — a music group
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mine — for digging
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bass — low music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. club — a group
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. band — a ring
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wind — moving air

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