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: nail · branch · spring · stem · pitch · vault · degree · rock

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. branch — a division
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. degree — from a university
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. spring — the season
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. vault — a safe
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stem — to come from
  24. degree — an amount

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