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

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — an amount
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bound — certain
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fine — all right
  12. pass — a permit
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bound — tied together
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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