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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. scale — in music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. perch — the fish
  5. hand — help
  6. charge — a price
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hand — in cards
  11. charge — in control
  12. band — a ring
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. board — a committee
  19. band — a music group
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. scale — size or range
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. board — to get on
  24. bear — the animal

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