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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pass — a permit
  10. degree — temperature
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. hand — help
  14. club — a group
  15. rash — a series
  16. degree — an amount
  17. club — for golf
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. club — for dancing
  22. scale — in music
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rash — hasty

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