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: cell · degree · field · wave · pitcher · mug · squash · cue

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. degree — an amount
  4. field — for sport
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cell — a phone
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cue — a hint
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mug — a face
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. squash — the sport

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