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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. kid — to tease
  3. degree — from a university
  4. band — a ring
  5. vault — a safe
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. toast — bread
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — electricity
  11. degree — temperature
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. board — to get on
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. kid — child
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. board — a committee
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. degree — an amount
  21. charge — a price
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. band — a music group

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