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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — money
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. branch — a division
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. squash — to crush
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. can — to be able to
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. squash — the sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. can — a tin
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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