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: present · bat · degree · pit · field · tube · calf · arm

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pit — a hole
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. present — a gift
  10. tube — a container
  11. present — there
  12. field — farmland
  13. degree — an amount
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bat — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. present — the time now
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. field — a subject
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. field — for sport

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