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: rest · roll · foot · degree · pass · arm · mark · staff

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. staff — employees
  4. mark — a grade
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pass — a permit
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rest — what's left
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rest — a break
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pass — to spend time

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