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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chest — of your body
  6. degree — an amount
  7. ball — a great time
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. snap — to click
  11. chest — of your body
  12. degree — temperature
  13. fine — all right
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chest — a box
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fine — high quality

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