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: clip · season · craft · race · suit · degree · charge · fan

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. clip — for paper
  5. charge — electricity
  6. race — a contest
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. suit — in cards
  9. degree — from a university
  10. craft — boats
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. degree — temperature
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. race — the arms race
  16. suit — to fit
  17. charge — in control
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. clip — to cut
  20. race — humankind
  21. clip — a video
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. charge — a price

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