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

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. object — a thing
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. tube — a container
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pop — to visit
  7. key — in music
  8. band — a ring
  9. plane — a tool
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pop — soda
  18. field — for sport
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. band — a music group
  23. degree — an amount
  24. key — for a lock

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