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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. charge — in control
  3. pitch — completely
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. clip — a video
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wax — to grow
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. charge — a price
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. charge — electricity
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mouse — for a computer

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