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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. file — a tool
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pass — a permit
  7. chair — a leader
  8. degree — from a university
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. file — a document
  11. fine — high quality
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. kid — child
  15. fine — all right
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. kid — to tease
  18. file — a line of people
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bass — low music
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. degree — an amount

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