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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bore — to tire
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. squash — to crush
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. hand — help
  9. pound — a weight
  10. squash — the sport
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. charge — electricity
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. capital — a city
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. plane — a tool
  17. capital — money
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. charge — in control
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bore — to drill

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