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: bass · fine · suit · ball · press · pitcher · degree · rash

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. ball — a dance
  9. suit — clothes
  10. press — to push
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. press — newspapers
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rash — hasty
  16. degree — temperature
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. degree — from a university
  20. fine — all right
  21. bass — low music
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rash — a series

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