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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. degree — temperature
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rock — a stone
  11. capital — a city
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. season — of the year
  16. capital — money
  17. net — for catching
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. rock — music
  21. season — in sport
  22. plane — a tool
  23. leaves — to go away
  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