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: mark · can · bat · degree · pound · press · mine · nail

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. can — a tin
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. can — a tin
  10. bat — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. degree — from a university
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. can — to be able to
  23. press — to push
  24. mark — a trace

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