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 116 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: leaves · hide · ruler · lie · cell · squash · degree · pitcher

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. degree — temperature
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. squash — the sport
  11. degree — from a university
  12. squash — to crush
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lie — to recline

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