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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. degree — temperature
  7. season — of the year
  8. mark — a grade
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. season — in sport
  12. degree — an amount
  13. spell — letters
  14. hand — help
  15. degree — from a university
  16. ground — the earth
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. ground — crushed
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mark — a trace
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ground — a position
  24. spell — a short time

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