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: present · fine · kid · mine · snap · degree · mouse · dip

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. present — there
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. fine — high quality
  13. degree — temperature
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. degree — an amount
  20. present — the time now
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fine — all right
  23. degree — from a university
  24. kid — to tease

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