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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. degree — an amount
  3. season — of the year
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. season — in sport
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. staff — employees
  11. dip — to sink
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. current — electric
  14. staff — a stick
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. bulb — for light
  18. staff — employees
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. degree — temperature

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