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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. squash — the sport
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. craft — a skill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — boats
  15. chair — a leader
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bark — to shout
  20. ground — a position
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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