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

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. tube — the underground
  4. degree — temperature
  5. board — a committee
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. club — for golf
  8. stem — to come from
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. club — for dancing
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tube — a container
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. degree — an amount
  22. board — to get on
  23. club — a group
  24. racket — for tennis

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