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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — government
  14. degree — temperature
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. race — humankind
  19. snap — to click
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rule — a law

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