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 · march · squash · pitcher · stand · scale · safe · shower

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. march — music
  5. degree — an amount
  6. scale — size or range
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. march — the month
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. scale — in music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. degree — from a university
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stand — to bear
  22. squash — the sport
  23. march — the month
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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