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: bass · degree · ground · scale · toast · charge · cap · press

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cap — of ice
  4. charge — electricity
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ground — crushed
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cap — a lid
  9. press — to push
  10. charge — in control
  11. toast — bread
  12. charge — a price
  13. degree — temperature
  14. scale — in music
  15. press — a publisher
  16. degree — an amount
  17. scale — size or range
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ground — the earth
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cap — a hat
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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