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: branch · mine · season · rock · land · degree · bat · scale

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. degree — temperature
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. branch — a division
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mine — for digging
  10. scale — in music
  11. rock — music
  12. season — of the year
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. degree — an amount
  16. land — ground
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. land — to come down
  21. bat — the animal
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. land — a country
  24. season — in sport

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