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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. degree — temperature
  5. court — of a king
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. scale — in music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. degree — an amount
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. court — of law
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. court — for sport
  24. sharp — exactly

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