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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. firm — a company
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. present — there
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. present — the time now
  9. rash — a series
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bank — of a river
  12. spring — of water
  13. firm — decided
  14. bank — for money
  15. rest — what's left
  16. present — a gift
  17. rash — hasty
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bank — for money
  20. spring — the season
  21. firm — steady
  22. degree — temperature
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rash — on the skin

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