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: wound · pop · rule · saw · degree · cue · pitch · lie

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cue — a signal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. degree — from a university
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cue — for pool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pop — to visit
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pitch — a sports field

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