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 120 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rush — hurry
  6. firm — steady
  7. charge — in control
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. firm — decided
  18. wound — an injury
  19. band — a ring
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. firm — a company
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fan — a supporter

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