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: object · sharp · jam · capital · deal · degree · plane · saw

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. sharp — clever
  5. capital — money
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. degree — temperature
  8. object — a thing
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. saw — the tool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. deal — to handle
  15. degree — an amount
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. object — an aim
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. degree — from a university
  21. saw — the tool
  22. plane — a tool
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. capital — a city

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