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: net · leaves · cue · lash · degree · bat · spell · pitch

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cue — a signal
  3. degree — from a university
  4. spell — a short time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. net — in sport
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. spell — letters
  11. net — for catching
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bat — the animal
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cue — for pool
  17. net — after costs
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. degree — temperature
  24. spell — magic

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