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: face · sharp · degree · land · capital · drill · deal · safe

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. land — to come down
  3. degree — temperature
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. drill — the tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. land — a country
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. degree — from a university
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. degree — an amount
  17. drill — a practice
  18. face — part of the head
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. land — ground
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. deal — to handle

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