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: hide · stick · hand · key · degree · bass · sharp · present

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. present — a gift
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — clever
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. degree — an amount
  15. key — in music
  16. present — the time now
  17. bass — low music
  18. hand — help
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hand — in cards
  22. present — there
  23. degree — temperature
  24. sharp — exactly

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