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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bulb — for light
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. staff — employees
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fall — the season
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. staff — a stick
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. can — to be able to
  19. charge — in control
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. degree — temperature

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