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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rash — hasty
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. degree — an amount
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rash — a series
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bowl — a dish

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