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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rash — hasty
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. degree — an amount
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. degree — from a university
  13. hand — in cards
  14. land — ground
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. land — a country
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rash — a series
  20. hand — help
  21. land — to come down
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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