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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. degree — an amount
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. capital — a city
  6. bank — for money
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. suit — in cards
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bank — of a river
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. capital — money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. degree — temperature
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bank — for money
  21. row — a line
  22. degree — from a university
  23. squash — the sport
  24. hand — help

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