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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mug — a face
  3. rush — hurry
  4. root — of a word
  5. bound — certain
  6. land — ground
  7. scale — in music
  8. ball — a dance
  9. charge — a price
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. charge — in control
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mug — to rob
  16. scale — size or range
  17. root — the cause
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. land — a country
  23. bound — tied together
  24. root — of a plant

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