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: shower · charge · bore · rule · nail · rest · degree · can

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rest — a break
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. shower — rain
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. can — a tin
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. shower — to wash
  18. degree — temperature
  19. charge — in control
  20. degree — an amount
  21. charge — a price
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. charge — electricity
  24. can — to be able to

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