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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pop — to visit
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rule — a law
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rule — government
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pop — soda
  21. degree — from a university
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pop — music
  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