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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bound — tied together
  11. degree — an amount
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bound — certain
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bound — obliged
  24. degree — from a university

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