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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bat — the animal
  3. degree — temperature
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stock — shares
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. degree — from a university
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cell — a phone
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stock — goods
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wake — before a funeral

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