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: pass · lie · cold · dip · degree · bay · bat · last

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cold — not warm
  5. degree — from a university
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bat — the animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. last — finally
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pass — a permit
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cold — an illness
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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