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: capital · degree · current · stick · rush · foot · march · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. current — electric
  3. march — music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. capital — a city
  7. march — the month
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. capital — money
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. march — the month
  14. degree — an amount
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. current — of water
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. current — happening now
  23. foot — a measure
  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