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: bore · fine · degree · sharp · rule · content · ruler · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. degree — an amount
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fine — all right
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rule — a law
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rule — government
  20. content — the amount
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rule — to rule out

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