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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fine — all right
  4. spell — letters
  5. charge — a price
  6. bound — certain
  7. ground — a position
  8. game — a match
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. charge — electricity
  16. game — wild animals
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. charge — in control
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cap — a hat
  24. coach — a trainer

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