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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pop — music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ball — a great time
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pop — to visit
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pop — soda
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. prune — to trim
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. game — a match
  24. prune — the fruit

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