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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. content — happy
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pit — in a race
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pit — a hole
  12. branch — a division
  13. lie — to recline
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. sharp — clever
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — the amount
  24. squash — the sport

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