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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. object — a thing
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. object — an aim
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — of a king
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ground — the earth
  10. court — of law
  11. degree — an amount
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. snap — to click
  14. court — for sport
  15. ground — crushed
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. degree — temperature
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rock — music
  20. shower — rain
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. object — to protest
  24. degree — from a university

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