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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rest — a break
  4. degree — an amount
  5. shower — rain
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cap — of ice
  10. current — of water
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. current — electric
  13. pitch — completely
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rest — what's left
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cap — a lid
  21. current — happening now
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. degree — temperature
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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