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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hand — in cards
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. charge — in control
  7. hand — help
  8. charge — a price
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. game — a match
  15. rash — a series
  16. lean — thin
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bear — the animal

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