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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. degree — an amount
  3. craft — a skill
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cue — a hint
  12. craft — boats
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. saw — the tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cue — for pool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. saw — the tool

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