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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. present — the time now
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rock — a stone
  5. band — a ring
  6. degree — from a university
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fine — all right
  9. present — there
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rock — music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. present — a gift
  18. band — a music group
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. branch — a division
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. perch — the fish
  24. branch — of a tree

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