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: degree · date · bound · saw · bowl · leaves · tear · cap

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bound — certain
  4. cap — a lid
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cap — of ice
  10. degree — from a university
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. degree — an amount
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cap — a hat
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. date — the fruit
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. saw — the tool

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