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: band · object · firm · present · degree · wake · bore · bark

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. firm — steady
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bark — to shout
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. bore — to drill
  11. firm — a company
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. band — a ring
  14. object — a thing
  15. bore — to tire
  16. band — a music group
  17. degree — an amount
  18. firm — decided
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. object — to protest
  21. present — there
  22. object — an aim
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. degree — from a university

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