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: object · pitch · spell · last · degree · clip · pit · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. degree — temperature
  3. spell — magic
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. clip — a video
  7. object — a thing
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. last — finally
  10. spell — a short time
  11. degree — an amount
  12. current — happening now
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. object — an aim
  15. spell — letters
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. clip — for paper
  19. object — to protest
  20. current — electric
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pit — a hole
  23. clip — to cut
  24. pitch — completely

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