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 120 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: spell · bass · present · plane · degree · ruler · rest · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rest — a break
  3. present — a gift
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rest — what's left
  7. present — the time now
  8. degree — from a university
  9. plane — a tool
  10. present — there
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. degree — an amount
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rest — what's left
  20. degree — temperature
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bass — the fish

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