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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. craft — a skill
  3. degree — an amount
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. chest — a box
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cap — a lid
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chest — of your body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. craft — boats
  23. degree — from a university
  24. sharp — exactly

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