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: clip · object · degree · craft · bear · mate · bank · chest

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bank — for money
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. craft — boats
  11. clip — to cut
  12. degree — from a university
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bank — of a river
  15. object — an aim
  16. chest — a box
  17. object — a thing
  18. bank — for money
  19. craft — a skill
  20. clip — a video
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. object — to protest

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