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 120 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: degree · safe · pitcher · leaves · cell · race · rush · hand

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. degree — from a university
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. hand — help
  7. race — the arms race
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — humankind
  14. cell — in biology
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cell — a phone
  22. hand — in cards
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rush — a thrill

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