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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. degree — an amount
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. land — ground
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. land — a country
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wound — an injury
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mug — to rob
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. land — to come down
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mug — a face

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