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: pit · content · hand · can · degree · rush · jam · bore

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. degree — an amount
  3. content — the amount
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pit — a hole
  8. degree — temperature
  9. hand — in cards
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hand — help
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. degree — from a university
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bore — to drill
  23. content — happy
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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