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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. charge — in control
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. degree — from a university
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bass — the fish
  14. court — for sport
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. court — of a king
  17. bass — low music
  18. charge — a price
  19. rash — hasty
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rush — hurry
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. court — of law

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