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: hand · deal · vault · can · tear · face · degree · rash

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — in cards
  3. face — to confront
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. degree — from a university
  7. face — part of the head
  8. can — a tin
  9. rash — a series
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. deal — to handle
  17. degree — temperature
  18. face — to point toward
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rash — hasty
  21. tear — to rip
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hand — help

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