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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rash — a series
  4. degree — an amount
  5. club — for golf
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mate — to breed
  8. board — to get on
  9. degree — from a university
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rash — hasty
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mate — a partner
  16. scale — size or range
  17. board — a committee
  18. wind — moving air
  19. club — a group
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mate — a friend

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