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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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 — to spend time
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fall — the season
  4. degree — from a university
  5. present — there
  6. clip — a video
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. present — the time now
  9. clip — to cut
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. present — a gift
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pass — a permit
  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