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: hide · stick · degree · fan · jam · fall · scale · cold

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. scale — size or range
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cold — not warm
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cold — an illness
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — in music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fall — to drop

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