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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stock — goods
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wound — an injury
  8. dip — to sink
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rush — hurry
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rock — music
  17. net — after costs
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stock — shares
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wound — an injury
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stock — a soup base

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