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: wake · can · bay · bore · pit · deal · stand · degree

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. degree — an amount
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pit — a hole
  6. can — a tin
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. degree — from a university
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pit — in a race
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stand — for spectators

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