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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. suit — to fit
  8. degree — an amount
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. snap — to click
  15. fine — all right
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — high quality
  18. suit — clothes
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cell — a phone
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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