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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. degree — from a university
  7. spring — of water
  8. degree — an amount
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. lie — to recline
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. staff — employees
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. row — a line
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. row — to paddle
  24. plane — a tool

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