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

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cold — an illness
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rock — music
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mug — to rob
  9. charge — a price
  10. bound — certain
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. mug — a face
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cold — not warm
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. charge — in control

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