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: leaves · squash · bay · wave · degree · content · calf · toast

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. degree — from a university
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. content — the amount
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. toast — bread
  15. degree — temperature
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. content — happy
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. calf — of the leg

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