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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spring — the season
  3. pop — music
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ground — crushed
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ground — a position
  12. spring — a coil
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. club — for golf
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. club — a group
  21. spring — of water
  22. pop — to visit
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pop — soda

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