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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fall — to drop
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fork — in a road
  7. spring — of water
  8. fall — the season
  9. degree — an amount
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. track — to keep track
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fall — to drop
  15. track — a song
  16. degree — from a university
  17. track — a path
  18. spring — the season

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