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: ball · cabinet · spring · race · spell · bay · degree · toast

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. ball — a dance
  7. race — humankind
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. spring — the season
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. spring — a coil
  17. toast — bread
  18. degree — from a university
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. spell — magic
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. ball — a great time
  24. spring — of water

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