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: cabinet · bowl · lash · track · bound · degree · wave · foot

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — an amount
  9. track — a song
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. track — to keep track
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. degree — temperature
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. track — a path
  21. bound — certain
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bound — obliged

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