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: fan · wind · foot · degree · charge · toast · wave · kick

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wind — moving air
  9. toast — bread
  10. degree — temperature
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — in control
  15. kick — in football
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. degree — from a university
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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