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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. degree — from a university
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. tear — to rip
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. race — a contest
  8. pop — soda
  9. degree — temperature
  10. race — the arms race
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chip — to eat
  14. tear — from crying
  15. suit — in cards
  16. date — the fruit
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — clothes
  19. chip — for betting
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. suit — to fit
  23. race — humankind
  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