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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. charge — a price
  5. prune — to trim
  6. charge — electricity
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bore — to drill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bore — to tire
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. charge — in control
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. kick — in football
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fine — all right

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