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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. club — a group
  5. charge — electricity
  6. club — for dancing
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. kid — child
  9. charge — in control
  10. staff — a stick
  11. kid — to tease
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. club — for golf
  15. staff — employees
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. charge — a price
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ball — a great time
  21. last — to go on
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. track — a path
  24. staff — employees

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