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: tube · firm · charge · degree · pitch · current · row · net

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. charge — in control
  4. current — electric
  5. row — a line
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. charge — a price
  8. firm — decided
  9. row — to paddle
  10. net — after costs
  11. firm — a company
  12. current — happening now
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pitch — completely
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. tube — the underground
  18. current — of water
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. degree — temperature
  21. charge — electricity
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. tube — a container

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