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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rule — a law
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rest — what's left
  5. foot — a measure
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. current — of water
  12. mug — a face
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. shower — rain
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rest — what's left
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. rest — a break

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