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: row · chest · mouse · nail · toast · leaves · degree · press

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chest — of your body
  6. press — newspapers
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. row — a line
  11. degree — from a university
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chest — a box
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chest — of your body
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. press — to push
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. degree — an amount

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