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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. date — the fruit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bat — the animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spell — magic
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. spell — letters
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. degree — from a university

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