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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. file — a line of people
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. file — a document
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. file — a tool
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bass — low music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mark — a grade
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bass — the fish
  24. charge — in control

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