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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mug — a cup
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. capital — money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. field — a subject
  11. degree — temperature
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. degree — from a university
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. field — for sport
  18. mug — to rob
  19. present — the time now
  20. field — farmland
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mug — a face
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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