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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. track — a song
  3. pass — a permit
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. track — a path
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cue — for pool
  16. degree — an amount
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cue — a signal
  22. degree — from a university
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rash — a series

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