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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. track — a song
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. track — to keep track
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. degree — an amount
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fine — all right
  14. track — a path
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fine — high quality
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. suit — in cards
  23. perch — the fish
  24. game — wild animals

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