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 all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mug — a cup
  7. chest — of your body
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chest — a box
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. root — of a word
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chest — of your body
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. root — the cause
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. kid — child
  24. bay — a horse colour

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