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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. charge — a price
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. game — a match
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. game — wild animals
  8. face — to point toward
  9. charge — in control
  10. tear — from crying
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. staff — employees
  13. sharp — clever
  14. staff — employees
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. charge — electricity
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying

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