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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. degree — from a university
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rest — a break
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ground — a position
  10. cue — for pool
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rest — what's left
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cue — a hint
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ground — crushed
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. degree — temperature
  23. rest — what's left
  24. racket — for tennis

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