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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. game — wild animals
  3. face — to confront
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mark — a grade
  9. tear — to rip
  10. face — part of the head
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. tear — from crying
  13. degree — temperature
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. degree — an amount
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mark — a trace
  20. degree — from a university
  21. game — a match
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. face — to point toward
  24. tear — from crying

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