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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. scale — size or range
  5. branch — a division
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bore — to tire
  11. degree — temperature
  12. content — the amount
  13. fine — all right
  14. scale — in music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fine — high quality
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. toast — bread
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. content — happy
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. degree — from a university
  24. content — videos and posts

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