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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. degree — from a university
  3. spring — of water
  4. fine — all right
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. spring — the season
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. present — there
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. shower — rain
  17. degree — an amount
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fine — high quality
  23. present — a gift
  24. shower — to wash

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