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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. spring — of water
  5. file — a line of people
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. charge — a price
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. spring — the season
  10. drill — a practice
  11. spring — a coil
  12. file — a document
  13. lie — to recline
  14. file — a tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — army training
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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