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

Word bank: bore · bear · degree · net · fine · rush · row · wave

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. degree — from a university
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bear — the animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. net — after costs
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fine — all right
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fine — high quality
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fine — a penalty

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