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 116 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. field — a subject
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bore — to tire
  7. can — a tin
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. charge — a price
  11. can — a tin
  12. bore — to drill
  13. net — after costs
  14. suit — to fit
  15. field — farmland
  16. can — to be able to
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. charge — in control
  21. staff — a stick
  22. field — for sport
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. suit — clothes

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