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 124 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: current · degree · nail · leaves · field · wind · mark · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. degree — temperature
  9. field — a subject
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. field — for sport
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wind — moving air
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. field — farmland
  23. current — electric
  24. wind — moving air

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