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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wind — moving air
  5. charge — a price
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. charge — in control
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. season — of the year
  19. wind — moving air
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pound — a weight
  24. trunk — of a car

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