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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. band — a ring
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kick — in football
  14. degree — temperature
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. band — a music group
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mouse — the animal

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