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 120 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: cabinet · fan · can · degree · bound · current · cell · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. degree — temperature
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cell — in biology
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — a phone
  14. can — a tin
  15. bound — certain
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bound — obliged
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. current — electric

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