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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. shower — to wash
  3. charge — a price
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mate — a partner
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. shower — rain
  16. mate — to breed
  17. charge — in control
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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