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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. charge — a price
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. key — in music
  8. shower — to wash
  9. degree — temperature
  10. charge — electricity
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fall — the season
  13. key — the most important part
  14. charge — in control
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. degree — from a university
  19. shower — rain
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lie — to recline
  22. squash — the sport
  23. key — for a lock
  24. squash — to crush

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