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

Word bank: degree · tear · patient · foot · mark · rock · mug · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rock — music
  3. degree — from a university
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. degree — temperature
  8. charge — in control
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mug — a face
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mug — a cup
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. degree — an amount
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. charge — a price
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rock — a stone

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