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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cue — for pool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mark — a trace
  8. row — a line
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bark — to shout
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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