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 120 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: degree · scale · row · mouse · chest · lie · fall · racket

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. row — a line
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — the season
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chest — a box
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. row — to paddle
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. scale — in music
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fall — to drop

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