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: scale · perch · spell · root · mine · kid · degree · stand

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. kid — child
  7. degree — temperature
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. scale — size or range
  12. root — of a word
  13. spell — magic
  14. degree — an amount
  15. spell — letters
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. spell — a short time
  22. kid — to tease
  23. perch — the fish
  24. scale — in music

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