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

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. degree — from a university
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bat — the animal
  7. file — a tool
  8. degree — temperature
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bass — low music
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rule — a law
  18. key — in music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rule — government
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bass — the fish
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a line of people

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