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: spell · cue · game · ball · lean · degree · mate · pop

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mate — a partner
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. game — wild animals
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pop — soda
  10. cue — a hint
  11. spell — letters
  12. ball — a great time
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. degree — from a university
  21. game — a match
  22. pop — music
  23. lean — thin
  24. game — a kind of play

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