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: saw · ball · racket · fall · vault · degree · clip · plane

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. degree — temperature
  4. ball — a great time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. degree — from a university
  7. fall — the season
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. vault — a safe
  10. saw — the tool
  11. clip — a video
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. clip — to cut
  14. degree — an amount
  15. clip — for paper
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. plane — a tool
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. ball — a dance

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