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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. net — after costs
  3. face — to confront
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. charge — a price
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bore — to drill
  8. net — in sport
  9. rest — a break
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. charge — electricity
  13. net — for catching
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rest — what's left
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rest — what's left
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. charge — in control
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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