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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. current — happening now
  3. pop — soda
  4. rash — a series
  5. degree — temperature
  6. current — electric
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rash — hasty
  11. current — of water
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. fall — to drop
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pop — music
  24. bore — gave birth

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