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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. object — an aim
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. file — a document
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. suit — in cards
  8. degree — temperature
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mine — for digging
  11. object — to protest
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mark — a trace
  19. object — a thing
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. degree — from a university
  23. branch — a division
  24. mine — belonging to me

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