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 116 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. file — a tool
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cold — not warm
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bear — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pitch — completely
  19. can — a tin
  20. degree — from a university
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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