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: spell · snap · cell · wind · degree · charge · cabinet · season

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. snap — to click
  4. spell — a short time
  5. degree — an amount
  6. charge — in control
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. spell — magic
  10. degree — temperature
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spell — letters
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cell — in biology
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wind — moving air
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cabinet — ministers

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