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 · fan · cell · dip · cabinet · cold · degree · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — temperature
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rock — music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. degree — an amount
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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