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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bound — tied together
  4. spell — a short time
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. spell — magic
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. object — to protest
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bound — obliged
  11. object — a thing
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. bound — certain
  18. spell — letters
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. object — an aim
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. trunk — 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