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: bay · degree · spring · face · dip · cue · rock · pass

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rock — music
  3. spring — a coil
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. face — part of the head
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. spring — of water
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. spring — the season
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. face — to confront
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rock — a stone

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