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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. foot — a measure
  6. charge — electricity
  7. degree — from a university
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. root — the cause
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. charge — in control
  15. firm — steady
  16. charge — a price
  17. present — there
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. root — of a plant
  22. degree — temperature
  23. root — of a word
  24. calf — a young animal

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