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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. current — happening now
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cap — a lid
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cap — a hat
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rule — government
  14. cap — of ice
  15. hand — help
  16. current — of water
  17. cue — a signal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rule — a law
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mug — a face
  23. current — electric
  24. mine — belonging to me

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