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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. degree — from a university
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cap — of ice
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cap — a hat
  11. scale — in music
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bank — for money
  15. charge — a price
  16. rush — hurry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. degree — temperature
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bank — for money
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. charge — electricity
  23. degree — an amount
  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