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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. court — for sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bat — the animal
  8. last — to go on
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. cue — for pool
  12. court — of a king
  13. current — happening now
  14. bound — certain
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. degree — temperature
  18. last — finally
  19. saw — the tool
  20. degree — from a university
  21. court — of law
  22. last — final
  23. cue — a hint
  24. degree — an amount

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