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: degree · fine · swing · band · face · scale · squash · cue

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. degree — temperature
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fine — high quality
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cue — a hint
  7. swing — in golf
  8. face — to confront
  9. cue — a signal
  10. band — a music group
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. scale — size or range
  15. degree — from a university
  16. squash — the sport
  17. scale — in music
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fine — all right
  20. face — part of the head
  21. band — a ring
  22. swing — music
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. scale — for weighing

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