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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. charge — a price
  3. net — after costs
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. ball — a dance
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fork — in a road
  9. drill — the tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. charge — in control
  12. current — happening now
  13. drill — a practice
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. drill — army training
  17. net — in sport
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. charge — electricity
  20. current — electric
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. net — for catching
  24. current — of water

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