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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. degree — temperature
  3. field — for sport
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. field — a subject
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rush — hurry
  22. field — farmland
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. degree — from a university

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