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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. charge — a price
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. charge — in control
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. drill — the tool
  15. field — a subject
  16. drill — army training
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. rush — hurry
  21. field — for sport
  22. wound — an injury
  23. field — farmland
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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