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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rush — hurry
  6. degree — an amount
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. degree — from a university

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