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: cue · field · rule · straw · degree · charge · dip · ball

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. cue — for pool
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. charge — in control
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cue — a signal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. charge — a price
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ball — a dance
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rule — a law
  20. degree — temperature
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cue — a hint

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