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: bound · last · roll · firm · pass · wound · degree · drill

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wound — an injury
  5. degree — an amount
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. last — final
  10. bound — certain
  11. firm — decided
  12. degree — from a university
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. last — to go on
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pass — a permit
  18. roll — a list
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. last — finally
  23. degree — temperature
  24. firm — steady

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