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 120 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 · cap · spell · march · wound · calf · club · nail

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. wound — an injury
  3. spell — a short time
  4. club — for dancing
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — a group
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. degree — an amount
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — a hat
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. degree — from a university
  14. spell — letters
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. march — the month
  17. cap — of ice
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cap — a lid
  23. club — for golf
  24. spell — magic

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