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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. last — to go on
  3. spring — the season
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. last — finally
  8. board — a committee
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ball — a great time
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. can — a tin
  15. board — to get on
  16. can — a tin
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stem — to come from
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. last — final
  24. can — to be able to

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