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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bass — the fish
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lean — thin
  11. bound — certain
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bass — low music
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. degree — an amount
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. lean — to rest against

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