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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. charge — electricity
  3. dip — to sink
  4. net — for catching
  5. foot — a measure
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. charge — in control
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mine — for digging
  13. court — of a king
  14. charge — a price
  15. net — in sport
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. net — after costs
  20. can — to be able to
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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