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: racket · bear · degree · game · vault · ball · stock · dip

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. game — a match
  5. bear — the animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. degree — an amount
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ball — a dance
  17. game — wild animals
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. dip — to dunk

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