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 · roll · pit · straw · fork · scale · dip · band

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pit — in a race
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. degree — temperature
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. band — a music group
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. degree — an amount
  15. scale — in music
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. band — a ring
  23. pit — a hole
  24. degree — from a university

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