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 116 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: bat · stand · net · current · bear · saw · calf · degree

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. degree — temperature
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. net — for catching
  7. degree — from a university
  8. net — in sport
  9. saw — the tool
  10. current — electric
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — happening now
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bear — the animal
  20. current — of water
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. net — after costs
  23. bat — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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