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: mate · content · date · squash · degree · pass · rash · bear

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pass — a permit
  4. date — the fruit
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bear — the animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bear — the animal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rash — a series
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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