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: stick · wake · bowl · ruler · racket · ground · degree · roll

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. degree — temperature
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ground — a position
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ground — crushed

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