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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a city
  7. chip — for betting
  8. game — a match
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rush — hurry
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. chip — to eat
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. plane — a tool
  21. charge — a price
  22. lean — to bend
  23. charge — in control
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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