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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hand — in cards
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. hand — help
  13. branch — a division
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. charge — a price
  16. row — a line
  17. game — a match
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bear — the animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. charge — electricity

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