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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. capital — a city
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. degree — temperature
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. degree — an amount
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. capital — money
  19. bass — low music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bark — to shout
  23. degree — from a university
  24. suit — to fit

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