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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bass — the fish
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bass — low music
  17. present — the time now
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. present — there
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. content — happy
  24. present — a gift

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