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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wind — moving air
  9. roll — a list
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pass — a permit
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mark — a trace
  16. roll — a cake
  17. current — electric
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. current — of water
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mine — for digging
  24. current — happening now

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