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

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. bank — for money
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mate — a partner
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. degree — temperature
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bank — for money
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mate — a friend
  15. clip — a video
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bank — of a river
  20. club — for dancing
  21. plane — a tool
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  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