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 · cue · pass · degree · current · spring · trunk · chest

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. current — electric
  3. spring — of water
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. cue — a hint
  7. chest — of your body
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chest — a box
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. current — happening now
  12. cue — for pool
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pass — a permit
  16. current — of water
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. spring — the season
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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