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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. charge — electricity
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. cold — an illness
  7. drill — a practice
  8. race — humankind
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cold — not warm
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cell — in biology
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. race — the arms race
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. race — a contest
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. saw — the tool
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. drill — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cell — in a prison

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