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: bank · degree · foot · bulb · present · lash · track · toast

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. degree — an amount
  4. toast — bread
  5. degree — from a university
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. degree — temperature
  8. track — a path
  9. bulb — for light
  10. track — a song
  11. bulb — for light
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bank — for money
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bank — of a river
  16. present — there
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. present — a gift
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. foot — a measure
  23. track — to keep track
  24. present — the time now

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