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 116 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 · row · press · tube · wave · club · degree · track

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. degree — from a university
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. press — a publisher
  5. track — a path
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. row — to paddle
  9. press — to push
  10. degree — an amount
  11. tube — a container
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. club — for golf
  15. can — a tin
  16. row — a line
  17. club — for dancing
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. press — newspapers
  20. club — a group
  21. degree — temperature
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. track — a song

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