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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. last — finally
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. last — to go on
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. last — final

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