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: capital · mate · coach · bat · pass · tear · degree · bass

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. capital — a city
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bass — the fish
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mate — a friend
  14. tear — from crying
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bass — low music
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pass — a permit
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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