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: bear · wound · rest · degree · racket · content · leaves · foot

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. degree — an amount
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rest — a break
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. degree — from a university
  9. content — the amount
  10. rest — what's left
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. content — happy
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wound — an injury
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bear — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rest — what's left

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