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 water is too ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cue — a signal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. degree — from a university
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bass — low music
  17. cold — an illness
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. degree — temperature
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bass — the fish

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