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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. court — for sport
  10. suit — clothes
  11. court — of law
  12. rush — hurry
  13. court — of a king
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. degree — an amount
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. suit — to fit
  22. stem — to come from
  23. snap — to click
  24. ruler — a monarch

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