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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rule — a law
  5. degree — temperature
  6. swing — music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. degree — an amount
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rule — government
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — not warm
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rest — a break
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rule — to rule out

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