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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pit — in a race
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. current — electric
  12. cell — a phone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. degree — temperature
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — of water
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. current — happening now
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pit — a hole

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