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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. game — a match
  3. charge — in control
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. scale — size or range
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. track — a path
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kid — child
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bark — to shout
  16. kid — to tease
  17. game — wild animals
  18. scale — in music
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mate — a friend

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