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: root · race · suit · degree · wax · rock · rest · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. root — the cause
  7. suit — in cards
  8. race — the arms race
  9. suit — clothes
  10. degree — an amount
  11. race — a contest
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. race — humankind
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rest — a break
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rock — a stone
  21. root — of a word
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rest — what's left

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