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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. spring — a coil
  5. degree — from a university
  6. spring — of water
  7. degree — an amount
  8. net — in sport
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. staff — employees
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. spring — the season
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. staff — employees
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. toast — bread

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