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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. degree — temperature
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fine — all right
  7. lean — thin
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. degree — an amount
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. spell — magic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. sharp — clever
  15. tear — from crying
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. degree — from a university
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lean — to bend
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fine — high quality
  24. tear — to rip

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