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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. degree — an amount
  5. shower — rain
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. tube — a container
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. charge — a price
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rock — a stone
  21. shower — to wash
  22. charge — in control
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. degree — temperature

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