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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. clip — a video
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. clip — to cut
  13. degree — an amount
  14. clip — for paper
  15. staff — employees
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — all right
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bass — low music

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