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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mug — a face
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mug — a cup
  6. tear — to rip
  7. row — a line
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cue — a hint
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mug — to rob
  17. tear — from crying
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. tear — from crying
  22. suit — clothes
  23. deal — to handle
  24. row — to paddle

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