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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — to be able to
  5. degree — from a university
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. can — a tin
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. can — a tin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. band — a music group
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wake — a trail

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