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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fine — all right
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. degree — an amount
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. degree — from a university
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. degree — temperature
  20. staff — employees
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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