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: rule · stick · pass · pop · squash · degree · bass · club

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pop — music
  3. bass — low music
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pass — a permit
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rule — government
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pop — soda
  15. degree — an amount
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. club — a group
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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