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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. vault — a safe
  6. press — a publisher
  7. degree — temperature
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. charge — a price
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. press — to push
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lash — to lash out

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