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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bank — for money
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. can — a tin
  11. capital — money
  12. track — a song
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — from a university
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. capital — a city
  19. kid — to tease
  20. track — a path
  21. spell — magic
  22. can — to be able to
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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