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: can · lie · present · foot · degree · wave · bear · pitcher

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. foot — a measure
  7. can — to be able to
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. degree — temperature
  13. can — a tin
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. can — a tin
  16. present — the time now
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. present — there
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. present — a gift

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