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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. swing — music
  4. object — to protest
  5. fine — high quality
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. net — in sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. plane — a tool
  12. degree — temperature
  13. swing — to play on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — all right
  16. net — for catching
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. degree — from a university
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. object — an aim
  22. net — after costs
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. degree — an amount

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