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: root · fan · bay · band · arm · march · degree · mate

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. march — the month
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — music
  6. band — a music group
  7. degree — temperature
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. march — the month
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mate — a partner
  20. band — a ring
  21. root — of a word
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mate — to breed
  24. arm — part of the body

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