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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. degree — from a university
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. degree — an amount
  6. charge — a price
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pop — to visit
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pop — soda
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. charge — in control
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pop — music
  20. degree — temperature
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. mark — a trace

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