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: mine · net · rush · charge · ball · scale · degree · tube

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. charge — in control
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. charge — a price
  5. scale — in music
  6. degree — an amount
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mine — for digging
  10. tube — the underground
  11. scale — size or range
  12. charge — electricity
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tube — a container
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. net — in sport
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. degree — temperature
  22. rush — hurry
  23. degree — from a university
  24. net — after costs

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