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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rash — hasty
  5. swing — to play on
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rule — government
  8. suit — in cards
  9. swing — in golf
  10. race — humankind
  11. swing — music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. suit — clothes
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rash — a series
  21. race — a contest
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rule — a law
  24. tear — from crying

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