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: season · pitcher · cap · cue · degree · track · lash · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cap — a hat
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cap — of ice
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. track — a path
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. degree — from a university
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. degree — an amount
  22. season — of the year
  23. roll — a cake
  24. track — a song

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