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: mark · season · cabinet · pass · lean · drill · degree · temple

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lean — to bend
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. degree — from a university
  10. season — of the year
  11. drill — the tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. drill — army training
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. lean — thin
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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