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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cue — a hint
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cue — a signal
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. degree — temperature
  12. ball — a great time
  13. sharp — clever
  14. degree — from a university
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. march — the month
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. degree — an amount

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