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: lash · jam · deal · degree · pitcher · vault · pound · hand

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. vault — a safe
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. hand — help
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. degree — from a university
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pound — a weight
  24. hand — part of the body

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