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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. present — there
  6. track — a path
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. track — a song
  11. degree — temperature
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rush — hurry
  14. present — a gift
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. present — the time now
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. charge — electricity
  20. roll — a cake
  21. charge — a price
  22. degree — an amount
  23. charge — in control
  24. roll — a list

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