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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rest — a break
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. tube — the underground
  7. staff — employees
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tube — a container
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rock — music
  13. ball — a great time
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. degree — from a university
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. degree — temperature
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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