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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cap — a hat
  4. degree — an amount
  5. spell — letters
  6. shower — rain
  7. degree — from a university
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spell — a short time
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cap — of ice
  12. spell — magic
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. shower — to wash
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cue — a signal
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pass — to spend time

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