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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. swing — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lie — to recline
  10. degree — an amount
  11. dip — to sink
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. plane — a tool
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. degree — temperature
  20. swing — in golf
  21. foot — a measure
  22. swing — to play on
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. lie — an untruth

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