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: squash · degree · land · pass · bulb · chair · foot · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bulb — for light
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pass — a permit
  7. foot — a measure
  8. land — a country
  9. degree — an amount
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. land — to come down
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. land — ground
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. shower — to wash
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. squash — the sport
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. squash — to crush

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