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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mug — a cup
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wound — an injury
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mug — to rob
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. charge — in control
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. charge — a price
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mug — a face
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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