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: bowl · pass · degree · wake · last · temple · ball · bay

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. last — to go on
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pass — a permit
  17. last — finally
  18. ball — a great time
  19. degree — from a university
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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