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

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. present — the time now
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spring — the season
  16. present — there
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rock — music
  20. spring — of water
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. spring — a coil
  24. present — a gift

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