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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — clever
  4. degree — temperature
  5. face — to confront
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. degree — from a university
  12. face — part of the head
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. roll — a cake
  18. degree — an amount
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. roll — a list
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. roll — on a roll

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