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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. 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. pass — to succeed
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a committee
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. board — to get on
  7. degree — an amount
  8. band — a ring
  9. pass — a permit
  10. band — a music group
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. suit — clothes
  16. degree — from a university
  17. suit — to fit
  18. 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