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 120 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: tube · mate · degree · cabinet · bank · hand · last · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. last — final
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mate — a friend
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mate — to breed
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. degree — an amount
  18. last — finally
  19. bank — of a river
  20. last — to go on
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mate — a partner
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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