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 · hand · current · row · sharp · dip · foot · mug

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. dip — to sink
  6. hand — in cards
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mug — to rob
  11. degree — temperature
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. degree — an amount
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. degree — from a university
  18. row — a line
  19. hand — help
  20. row — to paddle
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. sharp — clever
  24. current — of water

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