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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pop — to visit
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. pop — music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. charge — a price
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. branch — a division
  12. pop — soda
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. charge — in control
  17. object — a thing
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. swing — to play on
  24. branch — of a tree

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