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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. ball — a dance
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bank — for money
  7. race — the arms race
  8. board — a committee
  9. race — a contest
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bulb — for light
  13. race — humankind
  14. roll — a list
  15. bear — the animal
  16. roll — a cake
  17. ball — a great time
  18. board — to get on
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bank — for money

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