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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. degree — temperature
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — an amount
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bear — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bear — the animal
  18. snap — to click
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. plane — an aircraft

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