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: degree · racket · chest · firm · field · scale · lash · track

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. scale — in music
  6. degree — from a university
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chest — a box
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. field — farmland
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. scale — size or range
  14. degree — an amount
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. track — a path
  17. chest — of your body
  18. degree — temperature
  19. firm — a company
  20. field — for sport
  21. chest — of your body
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. track — a song

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