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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. march — the month
  4. bear — the animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. march — the month
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — a hat
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. march — music
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. firm — steady
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — decided
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. prune — to trim

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