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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — ground
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. land — to come down
  9. scale — in music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. land — a country
  12. pass — a permit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. scale — size or range
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fan — a supporter

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