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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. charge — a price
  3. bat — the animal
  4. row — a line
  5. charge — in control
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. last — finally
  9. scale — in music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. capital — a city
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. row — to paddle
  18. last — to go on
  19. capital — money
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. last — final
  22. charge — electricity
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bat — in an idiom

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