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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. degree — an amount
  4. scale — in music
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. degree — from a university
  8. spell — a short time
  9. game — wild animals
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. degree — temperature
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. key — for a lock
  16. spell — magic
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. key — in music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. game — a match
  22. rush — hurry
  23. spell — letters
  24. game — a kind of play

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