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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. degree — from a university
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. land — a country
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pass — a permit
  16. spell — letters
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pop — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pass — to succeed

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