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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. field — farmland
  3. ball — a dance
  4. field — for sport
  5. bound — tied together
  6. degree — an amount
  7. club — for golf
  8. bound — obliged
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. field — a subject
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bat — the animal
  14. club — a group
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. degree — from a university
  18. club — for dancing
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bound — certain

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