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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. degree — temperature
  6. track — a path
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wound — an injury
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wound — an injury
  15. root — the cause
  16. track — to keep track
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. track — a song
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. degree — an amount

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