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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · degree · net · kick · deal · racket

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. degree — an amount
  4. net — after costs
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. net — for catching
  7. file — a tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. degree — temperature
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. file — a line of people
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. degree — from a university
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. file — a document
  18. kick — in football

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