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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. degree — temperature
  3. content — the amount
  4. degree — an amount
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. court — of law
  7. content — happy
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mate — a friend
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. court — for sport
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. court — of a king
  24. leaves — to go away

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