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: pitcher · bulb · season · charge · lie · degree · stem · mine

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mine — for digging
  8. charge — a price
  9. bulb — for light
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. season — of the year
  15. lie — to recline
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. season — in sport
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. degree — temperature

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