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 116 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: pass · pop · degree · squash · cold · pitch · season · rock

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. degree — from a university
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pop — soda
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cold — not warm
  9. season — of the year
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pop — music
  13. pitch — completely
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pass — a permit
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rock — music
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cold — an illness

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