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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rest — a break
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chip — to eat
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. suit — clothes
  13. drill — army training
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. snap — to click
  18. chip — for betting
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. drill — a practice
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rest — what's left

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