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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · spell · pitch · mouse · clip · toast · degree · sharp

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. sharp — clever
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. degree — from a university
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. degree — temperature
  10. clip — to cut
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. spell — letters
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. jam — in traffic

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