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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cue — a hint
  5. degree — an amount
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pitch — completely
  8. season — in sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cue — for pool
  11. root — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. can — a tin
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cue — a signal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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