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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wound — an injury
  4. object — a thing
  5. shower — to wash
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. object — an aim
  8. shower — rain
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. degree — from a university
  11. net — after costs
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. degree — temperature
  14. object — to protest
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rest — what's left
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rest — a break
  23. degree — an amount
  24. saw — the tool

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