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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mug — a face
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mate — a partner
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bank — for money
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mug — to rob
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mate — to breed
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bank — for money
  19. cold — not warm
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — an illness
  24. deal — an agreement

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