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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rash — a series
  3. face — to point toward
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. court — of law
  6. drill — the tool
  7. charge — a price
  8. court — of a king
  9. drill — army training
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. face — to confront
  16. court — for sport
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bark — to shout
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rash — hasty
  22. drill — a practice
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bark — of a tree

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