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: calf · foot · rock · toast · roll · temple · degree · fan

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. foot — a measure
  7. degree — an amount
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. roll — a list
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. degree — temperature
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. degree — from a university

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