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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. bass — the fish
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. swing — to play on
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fall — to drop
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. swing — in golf
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bass — low music
  17. degree — temperature
  18. swing — music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fall — to drop
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fall — the season
  24. dip — to dunk

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