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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. firm — a company
  5. file — a line of people
  6. degree — an amount
  7. march — the month
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. degree — from a university
  12. firm — steady
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. file — a document
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. march — music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. file — a tool
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. firm — decided
  23. march — the month
  24. bat — 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