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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. sharp — clever
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — the tool
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. drill — army training
  22. pitch — completely
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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