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 120 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. race — a contest
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. tear — from crying
  6. swing — music
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. bass — low music
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. spell — magic
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. spell — letters
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. degree — from a university
  22. spell — a short time
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bass — the fish

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