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 116 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. degree — from a university
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ball — a dance
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. degree — temperature
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. kid — child
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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