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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. suit — in cards
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. suit — clothes
  5. charge — in control
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. swing — in golf
  8. degree — from a university
  9. chip — for betting
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. suit — to fit
  16. perch — the fish
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mine — for digging
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stock — shares
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. perch — for a bird

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