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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. can — a tin
  3. kick — in football
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bass — the fish
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bass — low music
  17. degree — temperature
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rush — a thrill

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