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: deal · mouse · track · leaves · game · degree · row · rock

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. game — a match
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rock — a stone
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. row — a line
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. track — a path
  17. degree — an amount
  18. row — to paddle
  19. game — wild animals
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. deal — to handle
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. track — to keep track
  24. leaves — lets stay

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