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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bat — the animal
  5. season — of the year
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. stand — to bear
  11. degree — temperature
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. season — in sport
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. club — for golf
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. club — a group
  24. season — to add flavour

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