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 · season · bowl · track · patient · charge · key · prune

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. track — a path
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. charge — a price
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. key — in music
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. degree — an amount
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. prune — to trim
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. bowl — to roll

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