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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. degree — temperature
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. track — a path
  6. degree — from a university
  7. game — wild animals
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. track — to keep track
  11. game — a match
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. spell — letters
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — a song
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. root — of a plant

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