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: bowl · rush · racket · spell · ball · degree · staff · lie

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ball — a great time
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. staff — a stick
  11. degree — temperature
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lie — to recline
  21. degree — an amount
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — letters
  24. staff — employees

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