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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pound — a weight
  5. charge — a price
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mine — for digging
  8. key — in music
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. key — the most important part
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. charge — electricity
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rush — a thrill

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