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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. board — a committee
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mate — a friend
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mate — to breed
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kid — child
  14. degree — an amount
  15. board — to get on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bat — in an idiom

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