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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. season — of the year
  4. spell — a short time
  5. roll — a cake
  6. toast — bread
  7. roll — a list
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. spell — magic
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. degree — an amount
  20. squash — the sport
  21. season — in sport
  22. degree — from a university
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. spell — letters

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