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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pop — music
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rule — a law
  10. charge — in control
  11. press — to push
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pop — to visit
  14. club — for golf
  15. rash — a series
  16. rule — government
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pop — soda
  20. club — for dancing
  21. charge — a price
  22. press — newspapers
  23. club — a group
  24. kick — a thrill

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