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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. last — to go on
  3. land — ground
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. charge — in control
  6. deal — to handle
  7. tube — a container
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. drill — army training
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. land — to come down
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. land — a country
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. last — final
  20. charge — electricity
  21. tube — the underground
  22. last — finally
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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