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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. degree — an amount
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. degree — temperature
  6. spell — letters
  7. can — to be able to
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. club — for dancing
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. chair — a leader
  13. spell — magic
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. degree — from a university
  16. club — a group
  17. deal — to handle
  18. charge — electricity
  19. spell — a short time
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. fork — in a road
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. club — for golf

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