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: foot · degree · season · content · fine · roll · straw · net

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. degree — an amount
  3. content — happy
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. season — of the year
  8. degree — temperature
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fine — high quality
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. season — in sport
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. roll — a list
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. foot — a measure
  19. degree — from a university
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fine — all right
  22. content — the amount
  23. net — after costs
  24. roll — a cake

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