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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. field — for sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. degree — an amount
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. degree — temperature
  14. capital — a city
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. field — farmland
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. field — a subject
  22. capital — money
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bear — the animal

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