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: tube · last · degree · hand · can · wind · firm · rock

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. can — a tin
  3. last — finally
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. firm — steady
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hand — help
  10. degree — from a university
  11. last — final
  12. can — to be able to
  13. firm — a company
  14. wind — moving air
  15. last — to go on
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rock — a stone
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — the underground
  20. firm — decided
  21. tube — a container
  22. degree — temperature
  23. hand — in cards
  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