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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bore — to tire
  5. charge — a price
  6. roll — a cake
  7. can — a tin
  8. roll — a list
  9. bore — to drill
  10. charge — in control
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rule — a law
  15. shower — rain
  16. rule — government
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. can — to be able to
  22. game — a match
  23. shower — to wash
  24. can — a tin

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