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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. degree — temperature
  3. swing — in golf
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. firm — decided
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. charge — in control
  9. present — the time now
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. charge — electricity
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. firm — steady
  18. swing — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. firm — a company
  21. degree — from a university
  22. present — there
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. swing — to play on

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