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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. pass — a permit
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. land — ground
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. degree — an amount
  13. charge — electricity
  14. land — a country
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. degree — from a university
  17. march — the month
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. land — to come down
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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