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: pound · can · pit · rock · degree · mouse · race · cue

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. can — a tin
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. race — humankind
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rock — music
  9. pit — a hole
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pound — a weight
  14. can — a tin
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rock — a stone
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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