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

Word bank: fine · object · cold · squash · degree · safe · pit · pitcher

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. degree — from a university
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. degree — an amount
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. degree — temperature
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cold — an illness
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fine — high quality
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. object — to protest
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — a hole
  24. safe — out of danger

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