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: stick · ground · court · charge · degree · spell · bass · season

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spell — a short time
  7. season — in sport
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. spell — letters
  10. charge — electricity
  11. degree — temperature
  12. ground — crushed
  13. charge — in control
  14. degree — an amount
  15. ground — a position
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. bass — low music
  20. court — of a king
  21. charge — a price
  22. ground — the earth
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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