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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. foot — a measure
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. degree — temperature
  18. club — a group
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. degree — from a university
  21. club — for dancing
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. degree — an amount
  24. pop — soda

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