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: pit · land · degree · deal · pass · nail · last · trunk

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pit — in a race
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. last — final
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. land — to come down
  12. deal — to handle
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pit — a hole
  17. land — a country
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. last — finally
  20. pass — a permit
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. land — ground
  24. last — to go on

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