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: bear · swing · cabinet · degree · bulb · face · season · cue

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. swing — music
  3. season — in sport
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — of the year
  13. cue — a hint
  14. face — to point toward
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. face — part of the head
  18. degree — from a university
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cue — a signal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. face — to confront
  24. cue — for pool

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