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: pitch · coach · tear · club · cue · mouse · degree · rock

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. degree — from a university
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rock — music
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. club — for dancing
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — for golf
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. degree — an amount
  13. tear — from crying
  14. degree — temperature
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. club — a group
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mouse — the animal

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