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: fork · ruler · pass · press · tube · spell · degree · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. degree — from a university
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. press — to push
  6. spell — letters
  7. tube — a container
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spell — a short time
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. spell — magic
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rash — a series
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pass — to succeed

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