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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fall — to drop
  3. current — happening now
  4. degree — temperature
  5. current — of water
  6. capital — a city
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. current — electric
  9. fine — all right
  10. capital — money
  11. foot — a measure
  12. court — of a king
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fall — to drop
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fall — the season
  18. degree — an amount
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. court — for sport
  22. fine — high quality
  23. tear — to rip
  24. capital — a big letter

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