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: deal · degree · file · roll · wax · march · ground · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. degree — temperature
  3. roll — a list
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. march — the month
  6. season — in sport
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ground — the earth
  9. roll — a cake
  10. deal — to handle
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. season — of the year
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ground — crushed
  18. march — music
  19. ground — a position
  20. march — the month
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. deal — a big deal

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