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: cue · row · degree · can · perch · jam · pitcher · fall

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. row — a line
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. row — to paddle
  9. can — a tin
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fall — to drop
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cue — a signal
  20. degree — temperature
  21. fall — the season
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cue — for pool

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