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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · cue · swing · dip · chip · straw · temple · spell

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. spell — magic
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cue — a signal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. degree — temperature
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. chip — for betting
  10. swing — in golf
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. swing — music
  13. cue — a hint
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spell — letters
  16. degree — an amount
  17. swing — to play on
  18. degree — from a university
  19. dip — to sink
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spell — a short time
  23. cue — for pool
  24. straw — a straw man

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