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: cold · plane · nail · degree · pound · leaves · deal · cap

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cold — an illness
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cap — of ice
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pound — a weight
  9. cold — not warm
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. degree — temperature
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. deal — to handle
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cap — a hat
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. degree — an amount
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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