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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rash — a series
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. snap — to click
  8. spell — magic
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. scale — size or range
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bear — the animal
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. degree — temperature

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