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

Word bank: hide · rule · racket · stick · field · degree

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rule — government
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. field — farmland
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. field — a subject
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. degree — an amount
  17. field — for sport
  18. rule — a law

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