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: kick · bat · bass · board · bowl · patient · degree · fall

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. kick — in football
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. degree — from a university
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. board — a committee
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fall — to drop
  20. board — to get on
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bass — low music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fall — the season

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