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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. race — humankind
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. land — to come down
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. race — a contest
  23. degree — from a university
  24. race — the arms race

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