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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rest — what's left
  3. key — the most important part
  4. degree — temperature
  5. current — happening now
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. key — in music
  11. current — electric
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rest — a break
  14. cold — an illness
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cell — in biology
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cell — a phone

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