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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. degree — temperature
  4. race — humankind
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cue — a hint
  7. game — a match
  8. cue — for pool
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cue — a signal
  16. ground — crushed
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ground — the earth
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ground — a position
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. degree — an amount
  24. race — a contest

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