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: net · toast · pass · degree · cabinet · tube · rash · wax

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pass — a permit
  5. degree — temperature
  6. tube — a container
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rash — a series
  12. net — in sport
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wax — to grow
  24. degree — an amount

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