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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. present — there
  3. degree — an amount
  4. drill — army training
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. present — a gift
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bulb — for light
  11. degree — temperature
  12. present — the time now
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. drill — the tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. plane — a tool

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