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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stand — to bear
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rash — a series
  15. bulb — for light
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bulb — for light
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. charge — a price
  21. spell — a short time
  22. charge — in control
  23. hand — help
  24. rash — on the skin

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