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: bank · plane · degree · ball · roll · net · stand · spring

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. spring — a coil
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. spring — the season
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. roll — a list
  8. degree — temperature
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bank — for money
  13. spring — of water
  14. degree — from a university
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. net — for catching
  17. stand — to bear
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. plane — a tool
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bank — for money
  24. stand — for spectators

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