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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. band — a ring
  10. degree — temperature
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. key — the most important part
  13. field — for sport
  14. club — for golf
  15. field — farmland
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. club — a group
  19. field — a subject
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. degree — from a university
  22. band — a music group
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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