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: staff · sharp · firm · cabinet · degree · current · cap · chest

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. degree — temperature
  6. current — happening now
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. current — electric
  10. cap — a hat
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. staff — employees
  13. chest — of your body
  14. current — of water
  15. degree — an amount
  16. firm — a company
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. sharp — clever
  19. staff — employees
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. cap — of ice
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cabinet — ministers

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