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: fine · cap · mark · spring · roll · degree · tube · swing

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cap — a lid
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. spring — a coil
  7. roll — a list
  8. fine — all right
  9. spring — of water
  10. cap — of ice
  11. swing — music
  12. tube — a container
  13. fine — high quality
  14. swing — in golf
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mark — a grade
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cap — a hat
  19. swing — to play on
  20. tube — the underground
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mark — a trace
  23. spring — the season
  24. degree — an amount

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