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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rash — a series
  5. mug — a face
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mug — to rob
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mug — a cup
  16. season — of the year
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. season — in sport
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cap — a lid
  23. degree — from a university
  24. coach — a trainer

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