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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fine — high quality
  3. charge — electricity
  4. court — of law
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. vault — a safe
  7. branch — a division
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. court — for sport
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. court — of a king
  17. fine — all right
  18. spell — magic
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — in control
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. squash — the sport

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