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 120 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: degree · bat · root · dip · net · rock · wound · fall

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. fall — the season
  10. net — for catching
  11. rock — a stone
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. degree — an amount
  14. root — of a word
  15. rock — music
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. root — the cause
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. degree — temperature
  24. dip — to sink

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