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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. game — a match
  3. race — a contest
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stand — to bear
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fall — the season
  9. land — a country
  10. fall — to drop
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. tube — a container
  16. fall — to drop
  17. race — humankind
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tube — the underground
  20. race — the arms race
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. land — to come down
  23. degree — temperature
  24. land — ground

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