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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. degree — temperature
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. game — a match
  7. mark — a grade
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bank — for money
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pitch — completely
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bank — of a river
  16. branch — a division
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. degree — an amount
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. snap — to click
  23. bank — for money
  24. branch — of a bank

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