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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. dip — to sink
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fall — to drop
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — a path
  11. row — a line
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rest — a break
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. rest — what's left
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rest — what's left
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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