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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. degree — from a university
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. root — of a plant
  7. hand — help
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rush — hurry
  10. degree — an amount
  11. root — of a word
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. last — final
  16. degree — temperature
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pass — a permit
  21. last — finally
  22. hand — in cards
  23. last — to go on
  24. root — the cause

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