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: pitch · rule · saw · roll · present · bass · press · degree

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. present — the time now
  3. rule — a law
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. present — there
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pitch — completely
  9. saw — the tool
  10. roll — a cake
  11. press — to push
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. bass — low music
  20. present — a gift
  21. press — newspapers
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rule — government

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