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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bear — the animal
  4. suit — clothes
  5. tube — the underground
  6. kick — in football
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chest — of your body
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chest — a box
  14. bear — the animal
  15. perch — the fish
  16. suit — to fit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. charge — a price
  20. land — a country
  21. tube — a container
  22. charge — in control
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. chest — of your body

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