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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. present — there
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. degree — temperature
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. degree — an amount
  10. prune — to trim
  11. charge — in control
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. prune — to trim
  14. present — a gift
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. charge — electricity
  17. present — the time now
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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