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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. charge — a price
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. degree — from a university
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mug — a face
  7. face — to confront
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mug — to rob
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. march — music
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mug — a cup
  14. charge — in control
  15. face — part of the head
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. march — the month
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. degree — temperature
  22. march — the month
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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