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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bulb — for light
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bound — certain
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fall — to drop
  23. degree — from a university
  24. capital — a big letter

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