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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. staff — employees
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mug — a face
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — to come down
  14. rash — hasty
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bank — of a river
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rash — a series
  20. land — a country
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. degree — from a university
  23. land — ground
  24. degree — an amount

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