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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. cap — a hat
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cap — a lid
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mate — a partner
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mate — a friend
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. degree — an amount
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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