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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hand — in cards
  3. firm — decided
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. firm — steady
  8. press — to push
  9. rash — a series
  10. hand — help
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wake — a trail
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rash — hasty
  18. firm — a company
  19. scale — in music
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. degree — an amount
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hand — part of the body

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