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: hide · scale · sharp · current · season · chair · degree · charge

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. degree — temperature
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. sharp — clever
  5. charge — a price
  6. scale — size or range
  7. season — in sport
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. degree — from a university
  10. current — of water
  11. degree — an amount
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — electric
  14. scale — in music
  15. chair — a leader
  16. charge — in control
  17. season — of the year
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. current — happening now
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. charge — electricity
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. hide — to keep secret

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