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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. net — after costs
  3. charge — electricity
  4. net — in sport
  5. charge — a price
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spell — letters
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. season — of the year
  17. net — for catching
  18. spell — magic
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. spell — a short time
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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