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 124 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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. charge — a price
  3. fall — the season
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wind — moving air
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fall — to drop
  16. charge — in control
  17. wind — moving air
  18. sharp — clever
  19. charge — electricity
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. cold — not warm
  22. mark — a grade
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cold — an illness

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