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 120 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: firm · march · hand · chip · charge · bulb · fall · degree

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. degree — temperature
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — decided
  5. fall — the season
  6. degree — from a university
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. march — music
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fall — to drop
  13. degree — an amount
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chip — for betting
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — a price
  18. bulb — for light
  19. firm — a company
  20. march — the month
  21. hand — help
  22. fall — to drop
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. charge — in control

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