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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hand — in cards
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. field — for sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hand — help
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rule — a law
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rule — government
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. field — farmland
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. degree — temperature
  22. field — a subject
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mug — a face

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