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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. capital — a city
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. current — of water
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stand — to bear
  15. capital — money
  16. mate — to breed
  17. sharp — clever
  18. degree — from a university
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. current — happening now
  23. mate — a friend
  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