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: charge · press · pass · board · hand · degree · clip · spell

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. spell — a short time
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — a permit
  6. degree — from a university
  7. clip — to cut
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. press — newspapers
  10. charge — in control
  11. press — a publisher
  12. hand — help
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. degree — an amount
  18. spell — magic
  19. clip — for paper
  20. degree — temperature
  21. charge — a price
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. clip — a video
  24. press — to push

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