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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. object — an aim
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. current — electric
  8. degree — an amount
  9. current — of water
  10. plane — a tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. current — happening now
  15. object — to protest
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. tear — from crying
  18. object — a thing
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bulb — for light
  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