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 124 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. club — a group
  7. cue — for pool
  8. march — music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cue — a signal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bass — the fish
  15. march — the month
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bass — low music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. march — the month
  22. lie — to recline
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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