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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. degree — an amount
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — clever
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. degree — temperature
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. degree — from a university
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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