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: degree · pass · pop · wax · bulb · fork · mate · pitch

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wax — to grow
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pop — music
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pass — to succeed

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