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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. current — happening now
  13. craft — boats
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cold — an illness
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. club — a group
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cold — not warm
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. deal — an agreement

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