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 · ground · lash · fan · mouse · scale · file · cap

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — a hat
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ground — a position
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a tool
  9. degree — from a university
  10. scale — size or range
  11. file — a line of people
  12. degree — an amount
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. degree — temperature
  16. scale — in music
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. file — a document
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ground — the earth

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