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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. present — the time now
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. club — for golf
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pass — a permit
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. drill — the tool
  13. club — for dancing
  14. present — a gift
  15. plane — a tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. club — a group
  19. present — there
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. toast — bread
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. drill — a practice

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