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 · pit · spring · mate · swing · staff · plane · bear

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. swing — music
  5. pit — a hole
  6. staff — employees
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. swing — in golf
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. spring — of water
  14. bear — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. pit — in a race
  17. degree — from a university
  18. swing — to play on
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bear — the animal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. plane — in geometry

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