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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rule — government
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rash — hasty
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rash — a series
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wax — to grow
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. degree — an amount
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bore — to drill
  24. squash — the vegetable

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