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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. charge — electricity
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. capital — money
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spring — a coil
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rule — government
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. season — of the year
  15. charge — a price
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. season — in sport
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. capital — a city
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. charge — in control
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. racket — a loud noise

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