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: band · bound · dip · rush · degree · firm · net · mouse

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rush — hurry
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. firm — a company
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. band — a music group
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bound — tied together
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bound — certain
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. firm — decided
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. degree — from a university
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. firm — steady
  23. band — a ring
  24. degree — temperature

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