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

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. degree — from a university
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. can — a tin
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. row — a line
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stand — to bear
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. deal — to handle
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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