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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. club — a group
  3. can — a tin
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — for dancing
  9. band — a ring
  10. pass — a permit
  11. can — to be able to
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. band — a music group
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kid — child
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. club — for golf
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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