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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hand — in cards
  5. scale — in music
  6. charge — in control
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kid — to tease
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pop — music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — help
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. charge — a price
  17. pop — soda
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. kid — child
  24. patient — a sick person

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