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: cell · fine · hide · racket · degree · tear · wave · stick

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. fine — all right
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. tear — to rip
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. tear — from crying
  21. degree — from a university
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. degree — an amount
  24. tear — from crying

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