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: ground · craft · current · leaves · arm · bear · pass · degree

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. current — electric
  4. bear — the animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. craft — boats
  13. degree — temperature
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. current — happening now
  19. degree — from a university
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. current — of water
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ground — crushed

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