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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. court — of law
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. degree — from a university
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rash — hasty
  14. hand — help
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mine — for digging
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rash — a series
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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