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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. tear — to rip
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rock — a stone
  8. season — in sport
  9. charge — a price
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. charge — in control
  18. season — of the year
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. season — to add flavour

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