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: degree · wound · bowl · drill · fan · bank · deal · season

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. wound — an injury
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. season — of the year
  5. degree — an amount
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bank — for money
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. drill — army training
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bank — of a river
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. season — in sport
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bank — for money

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