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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. net — for catching
  3. wake — a trail
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. degree — an amount
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. rash — a series
  11. degree — from a university
  12. net — after costs
  13. degree — temperature
  14. net — in sport
  15. mark — a grade
  16. tube — the underground
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rash — hasty
  23. tube — a container
  24. mark — to pay attention

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