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 · wake · foot · swing · mate · squash · land · bore

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mate — a partner
  7. squash — to crush
  8. foot — a measure
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. land — a country
  11. squash — the sport
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mate — to breed
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. land — to come down
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. swing — music
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. degree — an amount
  23. swing — to play on
  24. land — ground

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