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: bank · bowl · fine · tube · wave · charge · track · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. fine — all right
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. bank — of a river
  6. track — a path
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bank — for money
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. track — a song
  13. bank — for money
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fine — high quality
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. tube — a container
  21. track — to keep track
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bowl — to roll

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