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: court · squash · degree · bore · field · fine · cue · wave

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. court — of law
  3. bore — to drill
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. field — farmland
  7. fine — high quality
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. field — for sport
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fine — all right
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. field — a subject
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. court — for sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. court — of a king
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bore — to tire

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