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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. game — wild animals
  3. degree — from a university
  4. club — a group
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bank — for money
  7. fine — high quality
  8. club — for golf
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bank — of a river
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. fine — all right
  14. mate — a partner
  15. degree — temperature
  16. club — for dancing
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bank — for money
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. game — a match
  24. safe — out of danger

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