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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. race — the arms race
  3. degree — an amount
  4. row — to paddle
  5. staff — employees
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. press — a publisher
  9. court — of law
  10. row — a line
  11. press — newspapers
  12. race — humankind
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. degree — from a university
  15. race — a contest
  16. tear — from crying
  17. court — for sport
  18. staff — employees
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. court — of a king
  22. perch — the fish
  23. press — to push
  24. staff — a stick

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