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: spell · rush · pitcher · pit · lean · degree · bat · face

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. spell — magic
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. face — to point toward
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. face — to confront
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rush — a thrill

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