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 · wake · pop · stick · tear · safe · spell · mine

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pop — to visit
  7. spell — magic
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pop — music
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pop — soda
  17. tear — from crying
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mine — for digging
  22. spell — letters
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. safe — a strongbox

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