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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. current — electric
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. degree — temperature
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mark — a trace
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. degree — from a university

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