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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. kid — child
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. staff — employees
  6. degree — an amount
  7. lie — to recline
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. staff — a stick
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kid — to tease
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. degree — temperature
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. staff — employees
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rest — a break
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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