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: track · degree · capital · scale · cabinet · fan · bank · toast

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. degree — from a university
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. degree — temperature
  5. scale — in music
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. track — a song
  8. toast — bread
  9. track — a path
  10. capital — a city
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. capital — money
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bank — for money
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fan — to cool the air

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