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: fall · hand · degree · present · coach · key · fan · mark

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fall — to drop
  4. key — for a lock
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fall — the season
  7. present — the time now
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. hand — help
  13. present — a gift
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mark — a grade
  16. degree — from a university
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. degree — an amount
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. present — there
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mark — a trace

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