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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wake — a trail
  3. charge — electricity
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mate — a partner
  6. degree — an amount
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — in control
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mate — to breed
  15. degree — from a university
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mate — a friend
  21. kick — in football
  22. charge — a price
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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