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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. degree — temperature
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. degree — an amount
  5. clip — for paper
  6. saw — the tool
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. degree — from a university
  9. field — for sport
  10. branch — a division
  11. field — farmland
  12. clip — to cut
  13. field — a subject
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fork — in a road
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. clip — a video
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. tear — from crying

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