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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · rash · mug · pit · sharp · rule · capital · degree

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rash — a series
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rule — a law
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mug — to rob
  9. capital — money
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. degree — from a university
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mug — a cup
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mug — a face
  23. rule — government
  24. rash — on the skin

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