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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. stem — to come from
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — a phone
  7. current — of water
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. object — an aim
  12. current — electric
  13. rest — a break
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. object — a thing
  17. rest — what's left
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rest — what's left
  20. current — happening now
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. object — to protest
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. nail — for a hammer

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