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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cold — an illness
  3. pit — in a race
  4. key — in music
  5. pit — a hole
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. dip — to sink
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. key — the most important part
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. degree — temperature
  15. key — for a lock
  16. degree — from a university
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. degree — an amount
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bass — low music

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