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 120 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. game — a match
  3. drill — a practice
  4. chest — a box
  5. drill — army training
  6. mug — to rob
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. game — wild animals
  9. current — of water
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. current — happening now
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. drill — the tool
  16. charge — a price
  17. wake — a trail
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. current — electric
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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