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 116 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: saw · shower · degree · charge · vault · cold · sharp · spell

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. charge — a price
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cold — not warm
  6. spell — a short time
  7. vault — a safe
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. shower — rain
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. spell — magic
  12. sharp — clever
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. spell — letters
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. shower — to wash
  17. degree — from a university
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. degree — temperature
  22. saw — the tool
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cold — an illness

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