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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. degree — an amount
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ground — a position
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ground — crushed
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pass — a permit
  14. root — of a word
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pitch — completely
  17. root — the cause
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cap — a lid
  22. drill — a practice
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cap — a hat

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