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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. charge — electricity
  3. degree — an amount
  4. perch — the fish
  5. track — to keep track
  6. charge — a price
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. degree — temperature
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. charge — in control
  14. track — a path
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. track — a song
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. present — there
  24. degree — from a university

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