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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. field — farmland
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. hand — help
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rash — hasty
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. degree — from a university
  15. snap — to click
  16. deal — to handle
  17. degree — an amount
  18. field — a subject
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. field — for sport
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rash — a series
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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