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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. branch — a division
  4. rash — a series
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. charge — in control
  13. spell — magic
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. content — happy
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. spell — letters
  20. content — the amount
  21. rash — hasty
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. charge — a price

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