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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. current — of water
  3. fall — to drop
  4. press — newspapers
  5. club — for golf
  6. sharp — clever
  7. club — for dancing
  8. cell — a phone
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. press — to push
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fall — to drop
  13. current — happening now
  14. fall — the season
  15. current — electric
  16. cell — in biology
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. press — a publisher
  24. club — a 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