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: cabinet · suit · jam · bank · court · degree · scale · stand

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. court — of law
  3. bank — for money
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stand — to bear
  6. scale — size or range
  7. suit — to fit
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bank — for money
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bank — of a river
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — in cards
  19. scale — in music
  20. court — for sport
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. court — of a king
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. jam — in traffic

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