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: hand · degree · ruler · tear · fall · net · firm · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tear — from crying
  4. net — after costs
  5. fall — to drop
  6. hand — help
  7. degree — from a university
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. firm — a company
  10. tear — from crying
  11. firm — steady
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. degree — an amount
  16. net — for catching
  17. degree — temperature
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tear — to rip
  21. firm — decided
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. net — in sport
  24. fall — the season

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