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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. degree — an amount
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. degree — from a university
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. suit — clothes
  16. chair — a leader
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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