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: degree · board · date · rush · chest · jam · spring · bound

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. chest — a box
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bound — certain
  10. spring — a coil
  11. degree — from a university
  12. board — a committee
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spring — the season
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chest — of your body
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. spring — of water
  19. board — to get on
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bound — obliged
  24. board — a flat piece

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