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

Word bank: present · lean · march · suit · file · shower · degree · spell

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. suit — in cards
  4. present — there
  5. lean — thin
  6. file — a tool
  7. spell — letters
  8. degree — an amount
  9. shower — rain
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. suit — clothes
  12. spell — a short time
  13. march — music
  14. degree — temperature
  15. file — a document
  16. march — the month
  17. present — a gift
  18. file — a line of people
  19. shower — to wash
  20. suit — to fit
  21. spell — magic
  22. lean — to bend
  23. degree — from a university
  24. march — the month

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