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 120 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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mine — for digging
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cue — a signal
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bank — for money
  16. cue — a hint
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bank — for money
  21. scale — in music
  22. fine — all right
  23. cell — a phone
  24. degree — an amount

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