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 · fan · bear · wind · foot · chip · ruler · snap

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. snap — to click
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chip — for betting
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chip — to eat
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. degree — temperature
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fan — a supporter

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