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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. board — a committee
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. content — happy
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bat — the animal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. content — the amount
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. degree — temperature
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rock — a stone
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bat — for baseball

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