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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mark — a trace
  6. scale — size or range
  7. net — for catching
  8. track — a song
  9. degree — temperature
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bore — to drill
  14. track — a path
  15. net — after costs
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. saw — the tool
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. net — in sport

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