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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fine — high quality
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fine — all right
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stem — to come from
  9. net — after costs
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. net — in sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mate — a partner
  19. degree — an amount
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stem — a stem cell

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