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: lean · race · degree · charge · kid · bark · ruler · shower

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. degree — temperature
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. shower — rain
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. degree — an amount
  16. lean — to bend
  17. race — a contest
  18. charge — in control
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. degree — from a university
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lean — thin

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