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: snap · rush · mark · degree · tear · bulb · pit · plane

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. snap — to click
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mark — a grade
  5. degree — temperature
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pit — a hole
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. tear — to rip
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. tear — from crying

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