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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. degree — temperature
  3. plane — a tool
  4. press — a publisher
  5. content — the amount
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. content — happy
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tear — to rip
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. degree — an amount
  21. tear — from crying
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. degree — from a university
  24. plane — an aircraft

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