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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · can · charge · degree · bore · hand

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. can — a tin
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. degree — temperature
  5. can — to be able to
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — in control
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. charge — a price
  18. degree — from a university

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