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 116 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 · cabinet · kid · lean · pitch · fine · degree · tear

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. present — the time now
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lean — to bend
  8. kid — to tease
  9. degree — temperature
  10. tear — to rip
  11. degree — an amount
  12. present — there
  13. lean — thin
  14. fine — all right
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. present — a gift
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fine — high quality
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. tear — from crying
  23. kid — child
  24. degree — from a university

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