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: degree · rash · squash · foot · fan · swing · face · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rash — hasty
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. degree — temperature
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. swing — to play on
  16. face — to confront
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — the animal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. degree — from a university
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bear — the animal

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