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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. degree — from a university
  2. degree — an amount
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pound — a weight
  8. degree — temperature
  9. capital — money
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. capital — a city
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. branch — a division
  18. charge — in control
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pound — for dogs
  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