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 120 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: board · land · prune · mine · snap · face · degree · calf

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. face — part of the head
  3. snap — to click
  4. land — a country
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. land — to come down
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. face — to confront
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. face — to point toward
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mine — for digging
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. land — ground

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