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: scale · fine · march · bark · hide · mine · degree · leaves

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. march — the month
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fine — all right
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. march — the month
  16. mine — for digging
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. scale — in music
  20. bark — to shout
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. march — music
  23. degree — from a university
  24. fine — a penalty

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