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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mate — a friend
  4. current — happening now
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fine — all right
  8. bat — the animal
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mate — a partner
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. current — of water
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. mate — to breed
  18. present — a gift
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. present — there
  21. fine — high quality
  22. degree — an amount
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. current — electric

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