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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mine — for digging
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. game — a match
  10. scale — in music
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. scale — size or range
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. charge — a price
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fan — to cool the air

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