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: mine · track · content · mug · ruler · key · degree · game

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. degree — from a university
  3. key — for a lock
  4. degree — temperature
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mug — a face
  9. track — a song
  10. mine — for digging
  11. degree — an amount
  12. game — a match
  13. content — the amount
  14. track — to keep track
  15. content — happy
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. key — in music
  23. mug — to rob
  24. game — a kind of play

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