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: straw · fine · degree · drill · cabinet · mark · press · net

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. net — for catching
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. degree — temperature
  5. net — in sport
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. net — after costs
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. drill — army training
  13. mark — a grade
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. degree — an amount
  17. press — to push
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mark — a trace
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fine — high quality
  23. drill — the tool
  24. press — a publisher

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