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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. degree — from a university
  4. mark — a grade
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mug — to rob
  7. staff — employees
  8. mug — a face
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cold — an illness
  13. rest — what's left
  14. staff — employees
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. staff — a stick
  21. cold — not warm
  22. rest — a break
  23. mug — a cup
  24. degree — temperature

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