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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mark — a grade
  6. charge — a price
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. clip — a video
  10. rock — music
  11. board — to get on
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. game — a match
  14. file — a line of people
  15. clip — to cut
  16. file — a document
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. mark — a trace
  20. foot — a measure
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. charge — in control
  24. file — a tool

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