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: bank · hide · cold · dip · chair · toast · degree · pit

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pit — a hole
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bank — for money
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cold — not warm
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. toast — bread
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pit — in a race

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