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 116 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: fall · pound · bear · track · ruler · ground · degree · game

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. track — a path
  3. ground — the earth
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pound — a weight
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ground — crushed
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bear — the animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. track — a song
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. game — a match
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fall — the season
  20. ground — a position
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fall — to drop

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