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 · can · wind · tear · degree · mouse · pop · racket

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. pop — to visit
  3. tear — from crying
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pop — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. degree — temperature
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pop — soda
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — moving air
  23. can — a tin
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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