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 · bay · racket · spell · branch · degree · drill · roll

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. drill — army training
  4. charge — a price
  5. roll — a cake
  6. charge — in control
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. spell — a short time
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. drill — the tool
  16. degree — an amount
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. degree — from a university
  19. drill — a practice
  20. degree — temperature
  21. roll — a list
  22. spell — magic
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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