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: roll · band · spring · dip · bass · net · bat · degree

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. degree — temperature
  3. spring — the season
  4. net — after costs
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bat — the animal
  9. band — a ring
  10. spring — of water
  11. degree — from a university
  12. roll — a cake
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. net — for catching
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. roll — a list
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. degree — an amount
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. spring — a coil
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bass — low music

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