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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. degree — an amount
  3. track — a song
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. ball — a great time
  7. press — newspapers
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. degree — temperature
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. court — of a king
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. track — to keep track
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — a path
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ball — a dance

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