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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stand — to bear
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. deal — to handle
  10. present — the time now
  11. degree — temperature
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. present — a gift
  14. degree — from a university
  15. spring — the season
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — of water
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. present — there
  21. capital — money
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. degree — an amount
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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