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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mine — for digging
  9. file — a tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a document
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. file — a line of people
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. perch — the fish

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