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: land · saw · pitcher · ball · lash · season · degree · chip

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ball — a dance
  9. season — of the year
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. degree — from a university
  12. land — ground
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. degree — temperature
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. land — a country
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. land — to come down
  23. degree — an amount
  24. lash — an eyelash

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