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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wind — moving air
  6. degree — temperature
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. degree — from a university
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. hand — help
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wind — moving air
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. can — a tin
  23. degree — an amount
  24. key — for a lock

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