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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. field — a subject
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. sharp — clever
  13. key — in music
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. field — for sport
  16. charge — a price
  17. scale — size or range
  18. key — for a lock
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. field — farmland
  21. scale — in music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. sharp — exactly

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