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: mate · ground · degree · cabinet · squash · plane · pound · rest

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mate — to breed
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. degree — temperature
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ground — crushed
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rest — a break
  23. pound — a weight
  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