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: spring · press · club · dip · degree · snap · kick · pound

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. press — newspapers
  3. degree — temperature
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. press — a publisher
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. spring — a coil
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. spring — of water
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. degree — an amount
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. dip — to sink
  16. degree — from a university
  17. club — a group
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. kick — in football
  22. press — to push
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. club — for golf

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