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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wind — moving air
  3. roll — a list
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wind — moving air
  9. roll — a cake
  10. charge — a price
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rule — government
  13. charge — in control
  14. field — farmland
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rest — what's left
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rest — a break
  23. rule — a law
  24. chip — for betting

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