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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. sharp — clever
  3. staff — employees
  4. degree — temperature
  5. face — part of the head
  6. staff — a stick
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. degree — an amount
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. staff — employees
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. snap — to click
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. degree — from a university

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