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: pop · object · spell · drill · stand · degree · race · pitcher

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stand — to bear
  3. object — a thing
  4. degree — from a university
  5. race — the arms race
  6. drill — army training
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. object — to protest
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pop — to visit
  16. race — humankind
  17. spell — magic
  18. degree — temperature
  19. object — an aim
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. spell — a short time
  22. race — a contest
  23. drill — the tool
  24. degree — an amount

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