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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. staff — employees
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. spell — letters
  7. band — a ring
  8. staff — employees
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. band — a music group
  13. degree — from a university
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pass — a permit
  17. plane — a tool
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. spell — magic

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