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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bound — obliged
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bound — certain
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bass — low music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cell — a phone
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bass — the fish
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cell — in a prison

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