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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pit — in a race
  4. capital — money
  5. pit — a hole
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. degree — temperature
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wind — moving air
  11. toast — bread
  12. capital — a city
  13. march — music
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. march — the month
  19. degree — from a university
  20. sharp — clever
  21. march — the month
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. sharp — with an edge

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