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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. rock — music
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mark — a grade
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stock — shares
  11. degree — temperature
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rash — a series
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stock — goods
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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