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: bulb · racket · net · ball · rush · leaves · degree · jam

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. net — for catching
  3. degree — temperature
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ball — a dance
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. net — after costs
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. net — in sport
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ball — a great time

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