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 light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. ground — the earth
  7. firm — decided
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. face — to point toward
  21. game — wild animals
  22. face — to confront
  23. game — a match
  24. bulb — of a plant

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