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 · rule · rush · coach · spell · bore · ground · mark

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. degree — from a university
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ground — a position
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. spell — magic
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ground — crushed
  23. spell — a short time
  24. degree — an amount

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