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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. degree — an amount
  7. race — a contest
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. degree — from a university
  16. staff — employees
  17. rush — hurry
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fine — all right
  20. race — humankind
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. staff — employees

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