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

Word bank: squash · firm · shower · present · degree · spell · wave · can

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. degree — from a university
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. shower — rain
  10. firm — a company
  11. present — the time now
  12. can — to be able to
  13. degree — temperature
  14. squash — to crush
  15. spell — magic
  16. can — a tin
  17. present — there
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. squash — the sport
  20. degree — an amount
  21. present — a gift
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. shower — to wash
  24. can — a tin

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