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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cell — a phone
  5. face — to confront
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. current — happening now
  8. degree — from a university
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. current — of water
  11. degree — an amount
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. current — electric
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. swing — 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