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: rule · dip · season · degree · track · rush · net · spell

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. net — after costs
  3. rush — hurry
  4. dip — to sink
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rule — a law
  9. degree — temperature
  10. net — for catching
  11. degree — an amount
  12. net — in sport
  13. spell — magic
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. degree — from a university
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rule — government
  19. season — in sport
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. season — of the year
  24. track — a song

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