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 · object · rest · capital · jam · bowl · arm · spell

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. degree — an amount
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. capital — a city
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. spell — magic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. object — an aim
  13. spell — letters
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. capital — money
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. degree — temperature
  24. jam — a tight spot

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