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: jam · cold · degree · fan · bank · bass · dip · bore

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cold — an illness
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bore — to drill
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. degree — an amount
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bass — low music
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bank — for money
  16. bass — the fish
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bank — for money
  24. cold — not warm

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