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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. court — of a king
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. degree — from a university
  14. court — for sport
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. court — of law
  21. can — a tin
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pass — a permit

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