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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. game — a match
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. degree — from a university
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chest — of your body
  15. scale — in music
  16. degree — an amount
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. game — wild animals
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pitcher — a jug

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