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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. race — the arms race
  3. hand — in cards
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. race — humankind
  7. cue — for pool
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mug — a face
  10. season — in sport
  11. degree — an amount
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cue — a hint
  18. race — a contest
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mug — to rob
  21. degree — temperature
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cue — a signal
  24. straw — dry grass

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