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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. charge — in control
  3. staff — employees
  4. net — after costs
  5. court — of law
  6. march — the month
  7. charge — a price
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mine — for digging
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. court — for sport
  16. staff — a stick
  17. object — a thing
  18. staff — employees
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. charge — electricity
  21. court — of a king
  22. net — in sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. net — for catching

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