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: race · kick · pound · ball · deal · fan · wake · degree

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pound — a weight
  4. race — a contest
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ball — a dance
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. degree — an amount
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. kick — in football
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. degree — from a university
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wake — a trail
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — the arms race

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