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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. degree — temperature
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stand — to bear
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. degree — an amount
  19. charge — a price
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wind — moving air
  24. charge — in control

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