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: key · safe · tube · charge · capital · degree · present · file

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. charge — in control
  3. degree — from a university
  4. key — the most important part
  5. present — there
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. charge — a price
  8. file — a document
  9. present — a gift
  10. key — for a lock
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. charge — electricity
  15. degree — an amount
  16. present — the time now
  17. tube — the underground
  18. file — a tool
  19. capital — a city
  20. key — in music
  21. capital — money
  22. degree — temperature
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. file — a line of people

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