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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. charge — a price
  3. field — farmland
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fine — all right
  12. deal — to handle
  13. field — for sport
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. field — a subject
  18. drill — army training
  19. fine — high quality
  20. charge — in control
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. charge — electricity
  24. spring — the season

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