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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. pitch — completely
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. degree — from a university
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. object — a thing
  16. shower — to wash
  17. object — an aim
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. degree — temperature
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. object — to protest
  22. degree — an amount
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. deal — an agreement

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