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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rush — hurry
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mate — to breed
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. plane — a tool
  21. degree — from a university
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. squash — to crush
  24. degree — temperature

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