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 116 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: bay · degree · tube · vault · bear · hide · squash · net

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. degree — temperature
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. squash — the sport
  6. tube — a container
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bear — the animal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. net — after costs
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — a safe
  18. net — in sport
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. degree — from a university
  21. net — for catching
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hide — to keep secret

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