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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rock — a stone
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. degree — from a university
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rock — music
  15. pass — a permit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. scale — in music
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cue — for pool

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