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

Word bank: net · content · rest · degree · bowl · present · clip · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. degree — from a university
  3. present — a gift
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. clip — a video
  7. degree — temperature
  8. present — the time now
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. clip — for paper
  15. net — after costs
  16. clip — to cut
  17. net — in sport
  18. present — there
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. net — for catching
  23. rest — a break
  24. degree — an amount

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