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: fall · dip · drill · degree · wax · net · can · mouse

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fall — the season
  4. net — after costs
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — a practice
  10. net — in sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. drill — the tool
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. drill — army training
  21. fall — to drop
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. net — for catching
  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