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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. current — electric
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. current — of water
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. object — an aim
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — temperature
  15. snap — to click
  16. present — the time now
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. degree — from a university
  23. current — happening now
  24. object — to protest

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