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: drill · degree · roll · suit · squash · stock · swing · dip

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stock — goods
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. roll — a list
  6. suit — to fit
  7. roll — a cake
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. suit — clothes
  11. swing — in golf
  12. suit — in cards
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. squash — to crush
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. swing — music
  20. drill — the tool
  21. dip — to sink
  22. degree — from a university
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stock — shares

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