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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bound — tied together
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. suit — to fit
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bat — the animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. season — of the year
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. season — in sport
  18. degree — an amount
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. suit — clothes

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