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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. face — to point toward
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. face — to confront
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. face — part of the head
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. craft — boats
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. stem — 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