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: fan · pass · land · leaves · bowl · pitch · degree · pit

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. land — a country
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. land — ground
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pit — a hole
  12. land — to come down
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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