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: racket · track · bear · perch · degree · lash · squash · ball

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. degree — from a university
  3. track — a song
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. squash — the sport
  6. track — a path
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bear — the animal
  14. degree — temperature
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bear — the animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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