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: mark · charge · stand · patient · degree · clip · kick · can

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. degree — temperature
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. clip — a video
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — electricity
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. degree — from a university
  12. charge — in control
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. clip — to cut
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. kick — in football
  21. stand — to bear
  22. clip — for paper
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stand — for spectators

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