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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. craft — boats
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. key — in music
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. race — a contest
  13. bass — low music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. craft — a skill
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bass — the fish
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cap — a hat
  21. degree — from a university
  22. key — for a lock
  23. degree — an amount
  24. race — humankind

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