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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. march — the month
  6. hand — help
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. march — music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. march — the month
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. charge — a price
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. land — ground

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