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: rest · season · wave · degree · chair · key · fork · mate

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. season — in sport
  4. mate — to breed
  5. key — in music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rest — a break
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mate — a friend
  22. season — of the year
  23. key — the most important part
  24. chair — a professorship

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