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: track · spell · degree · fork · racket · toast · present · chest

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. present — the time now
  3. degree — from a university
  4. track — to keep track
  5. toast — bread
  6. degree — temperature
  7. spell — letters
  8. chest — of your body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. degree — an amount
  12. present — there
  13. track — a song
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. present — a gift
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. chest — a box
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. chest — of your body
  24. track — a path

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