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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pit — in a race
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pit — a hole
  7. saw — the tool
  8. last — final
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. plane — a tool
  14. last — finally
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pass — a permit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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