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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. degree — from a university
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ground — a position
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. can — a tin
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ground — the earth
  14. can — to be able to
  15. degree — temperature
  16. ground — crushed
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. land — ground
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rest — a break
  24. can — a tin

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