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 116 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. hand — in cards
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. degree — temperature
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fine — all right
  9. season — of the year
  10. fine — high quality
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. shower — rain
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. hand — help
  17. shower — to wash
  18. season — in sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. squash — to crush
  23. degree — from a university
  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