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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rest — what's left
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rock — music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cell — in biology
  13. branch — a division
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cell — a phone
  20. degree — temperature
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chair — a leader

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