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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. shower — rain
  3. charge — a price
  4. rash — a series
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. cue — a hint
  10. shower — to wash
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cell — a phone
  16. present — the time now
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cell — in biology
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rash — hasty
  23. present — a gift
  24. cue — for pool

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