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: toast · mark · fan · stem · content · degree · dip · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mark — a grade
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. content — the amount
  9. degree — an amount
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mark — a trace
  15. toast — bread
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bass — low music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bass — the fish
  24. dip — to sink

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