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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rule — government
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. can — a tin
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cue — a signal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. vault — a safe
  12. capital — money
  13. present — the time now
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rule — a law
  17. can — a tin
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. present — a gift
  20. tear — from crying
  21. present — there
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. capital — a city
  24. degree — from a university

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