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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. degree — an amount
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. race — humankind
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. race — the arms race
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. race — a contest
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pit — a hole
  16. board — to get on
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. degree — temperature
  20. branch — a division
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — a committee
  24. date — the fruit

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