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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. track — a path
  3. squash — to crush
  4. degree — temperature
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. court — for sport
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. track — to keep track
  9. court — of a king
  10. degree — an amount
  11. court — of law
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. content — the amount
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. plane — a tool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. track — a song
  19. squash — the sport
  20. content — happy
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. degree — from a university

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