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: pitch · bear · net · tear · leaves · degree · key · chair

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitch — completely
  4. net — in sport
  5. chair — a leader
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. tear — to rip
  10. net — after costs
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. tear — from crying
  16. net — for catching
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. degree — an amount
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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