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: present · date · fan · degree · rule · cap · season · ball

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rule — a law
  5. present — a gift
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. present — the time now
  9. cap — a hat
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. season — in sport
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cap — of ice
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. date — the fruit
  18. degree — an amount
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rule — government
  22. present — there
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. season — of the year

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