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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pit — a hole
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bound — certain
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — a price
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. degree — from a university
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. charge — in control
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wound — an injury
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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