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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. suit — to fit
  3. degree — an amount
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cap — of ice
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fine — all right
  12. rest — a break
  13. club — for dancing
  14. suit — clothes
  15. tear — to rip
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cap — a hat
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tear — from crying
  23. ball — a great time
  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