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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bass — the fish
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mug — a face
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bass — low music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tube — a container

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