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: pitcher · wave · scale · mark · coach · rash · degree · kid

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. degree — from a university
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mark — a trace
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. degree — temperature
  22. kid — child
  23. degree — an amount
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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