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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. track — a path
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bass — the fish
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. track — to keep track
  11. tube — the underground
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. degree — temperature
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ground — a position
  17. track — a song
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bass — low music
  20. tube — a container
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. degree — from a university

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