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: rule · prune · rock · charge · wound · chair · degree · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rule — government
  7. degree — temperature
  8. charge — a price
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. charge — electricity
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rock — music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. club — for golf
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. charge — in control
  19. club — for dancing
  20. prune — to trim
  21. degree — from a university
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rule — a law
  24. wound — an injury

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