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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. swing — to play on
  3. firm — steady
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rule — government
  6. firm — a company
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. swing — music
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rule — a law
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. firm — decided
  24. mouse — the animal

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