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: bound · lie · fan · safe · date · bear · degree · chair

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bound — obliged
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — the animal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bear — to put up with

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