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: net · hand · snap · degree · ball · cue · bat · lean

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. degree — temperature
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. net — after costs
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bat — the animal
  10. degree — an amount
  11. net — for catching
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cue — a signal
  17. hand — help
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. ball — a dance
  23. hand — in cards
  24. net — in sport

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