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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. march — the month
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. game — a match
  7. branch — a division
  8. rock — music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pit — a hole
  12. ball — a great time
  13. charge — in control
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. march — the month
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rock — a stone
  20. game — wild animals
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. march — music
  23. charge — a price
  24. pit — in a race

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