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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. degree — temperature
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chip — to eat
  7. march — the month
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. clip — a video
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bank — for money
  18. clip — to cut
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bank — for money
  21. march — the month
  22. pass — a permit
  23. march — music
  24. clip — for paper

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