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: board · temple · ball · tube · saw · foot · racket · degree

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. degree — from a university
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. board — a committee
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tube — a container
  7. board — to get on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ball — a dance
  10. degree — an amount
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. saw — the tool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. degree — temperature
  18. saw — the tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. ball — a great time

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