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: bore · ground · calf · pop · row · degree · stand · fine

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. degree — from a university
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pop — music
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. fine — all right
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. degree — temperature
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fine — high quality
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pop — soda
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. degree — an amount

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