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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. tube — a container
  11. stem — to come from
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. degree — an amount
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. tube — the underground
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. degree — temperature
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. degree — from a university
  24. suit — to fit

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