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: mug · degree · pop · spring · calf · track · clip · current

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. degree — temperature
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. current — happening now
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pop — music
  9. track — a song
  10. clip — for paper
  11. spring — of water
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mug — to rob
  15. degree — an amount
  16. clip — a video
  17. current — of water
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mug — a face
  20. current — electric
  21. spring — a coil
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pop — soda
  24. spring — the season

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