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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mark — a trace
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mark — a grade
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. sharp — clever
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. shower — rain
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. degree — an amount

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