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: game · bulb · coach · swing · ball · degree · bore · mouse

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. degree — temperature
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. game — a match
  9. swing — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ball — a dance
  18. game — wild animals
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bore — to drill

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