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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. degree — from a university
  15. chair — a leader
  16. game — wild animals
  17. scale — in music
  18. mark — a grade
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. game — a match
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mark — a trace

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