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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. degree — from a university
  3. can — a tin
  4. game — a match
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fine — all right
  7. current — electric
  8. snap — to click
  9. can — a tin
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. current — of water
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. current — happening now
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cue — a hint
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. game — wild animals
  24. jam — in traffic

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