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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bat — the animal
  4. shower — rain
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. present — there
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. present — the time now
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. shower — to wash
  11. degree — from a university
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. present — a gift
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rock — a stone
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rock — music
  20. capital — money
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. capital — a city
  24. bat — for baseball

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