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: degree · mate · pop · rule · squash · lash · charge · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rule — government
  6. charge — a price
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pop — soda
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rule — a law
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mate — a friend
  17. charge — in control
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pop — music
  21. wake — a trail
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rule — to rule out

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