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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. content — the amount
  2. shower — rain
  3. degree — temperature
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mug — a cup
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mug — to rob
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. degree — an amount
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. content — happy
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mug — a face
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bore — to tire
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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