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 116 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: leaves · capital · sharp · bound · fan · degree · mug · cap

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mug — a face
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. capital — a city
  7. bound — obliged
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. degree — an amount
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. degree — from a university
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mug — a cup
  17. capital — money
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bound — tied together
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bound — certain
  24. degree — temperature

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