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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · date · bay · last · spell · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. spell — magic
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. last — final
  7. stock — goods
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stock — shares
  12. degree — an amount
  13. last — finally
  14. spell — letters
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. last — to go on
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. date — the fruit

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