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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pitch — completely
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. degree — from a university
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wound — an injury
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pound — to hit hard

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