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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. degree — temperature
  3. saw — the tool
  4. land — a country
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. degree — an amount
  8. board — a committee
  9. pass — a permit
  10. land — ground
  11. board — to get on
  12. rule — government
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. rule — a law
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. saw — the tool
  22. field — for sport
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. land — to come down

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