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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. dip — to sink
  3. charge — a price
  4. court — of law
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — electricity
  7. can — a tin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. charge — in control
  15. court — of a king
  16. saw — the tool
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — rain
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — for sport
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. dip — a sauce

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