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 · degree · snap · bulb · cell · roll · bay · date

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. roll — a list
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. date — the fruit
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cell — a phone
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. roll — a cake
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. snap — to click
  24. date — on the calendar

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