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: mug · saw · degree · capital · mate · leaves · trunk · mine

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mug — a face
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. degree — an amount
  7. saw — the tool
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mate — a friend
  11. degree — temperature
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. capital — money
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mate — a partner
  19. capital — a city
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mate — to breed

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