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 · present · degree · chip · bound · leaves · field · mate

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mate — to breed
  6. field — a subject
  7. bound — obliged
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mate — a friend
  10. chip — to eat
  11. field — farmland
  12. degree — from a university
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mate — a partner
  15. clip — to cut
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. clip — a video
  20. bound — tied together
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. present — there
  24. bound — certain

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