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: rock · spell · saw · board · land · degree · staff · foot

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. land — to come down
  3. degree — temperature
  4. saw — the tool
  5. board — a committee
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. staff — employees
  10. spell — a short time
  11. staff — a stick
  12. degree — from a university
  13. board — to get on
  14. land — ground
  15. spell — letters
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rock — music
  18. staff — employees
  19. land — a country
  20. rock — a stone
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spell — magic
  24. board — a flat piece

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