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: arm · bark · mark · toast · mine · ruler · degree · season

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. season — of the year
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. toast — bread
  11. degree — temperature
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. season — in sport
  16. mine — for digging
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bark — to shout
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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