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: saw · cap · lean · degree · racket · lash · capital · last

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. lean — thin
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cap — of ice
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cap — a hat
  7. degree — from a university
  8. capital — money
  9. last — finally
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. last — final
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cap — a lid
  18. last — to go on
  19. capital — a city
  20. saw — the tool
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. capital — a big letter
  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