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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. deal — to handle
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rule — government
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mate — to breed
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. degree — an amount
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. firm — a company
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. spring — the season
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rule — a law
  19. spring — of water
  20. degree — from a university
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. rule — to rule out

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