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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bass — the fish
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. charge — in control
  6. degree — temperature
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fall — the season
  10. lean — thin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hand — in cards
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fall — to drop
  16. charge — a price
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bass — low music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. hand — help

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