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: ball · rush · mug · clip · tear · degree · cabinet · bound

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mug — a face
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ball — a dance
  9. tear — to rip
  10. clip — a video
  11. bound — tied together
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. degree — temperature
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rush — to hurry
  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