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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. charge — in control
  5. chip — to eat
  6. spring — the season
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. kid — child
  14. rush — hurry
  15. row — a line
  16. charge — a price
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. kid — to tease
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rush — to hurry

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