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: game · suit · track · last · rash · wind · degree · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. game — wild animals
  4. suit — in cards
  5. last — to go on
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. last — final
  9. track — a song
  10. cue — a hint
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. last — finally
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. track — a path
  18. wind — moving air
  19. game — a match
  20. degree — from a university
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. wind — moving air

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