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: nail · deal · degree · current · date · stand · racket · pit

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pit — in a race
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pit — a hole
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. date — the fruit
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — an amount
  21. deal — to handle
  22. degree — from a university
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. date — on the calendar

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