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: firm · snap · cap · degree · ball · toast · coach · staff

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. snap — to click
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. degree — temperature
  7. toast — bread
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cap — of ice
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cap — a hat
  12. degree — from a university
  13. cap — a lid
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. degree — an amount
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ball — a dance
  24. firm — a company

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