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: bowl · cue · rule · degree · dip · band · season · vault

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cue — a hint
  5. season — in sport
  6. band — a music group
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rule — a law
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. season — of the year
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. band — a ring
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — an amount

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