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

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cell — a phone
  6. charge — in control
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. degree — an amount
  9. cell — in biology
  10. degree — temperature
  11. land — a country
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. degree — from a university
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. land — ground
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. charge — a price
  21. pass — a permit
  22. craft — boats
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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