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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. rest — a break
  5. race — a contest
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. race — humankind
  9. game — a match
  10. mark — a trace
  11. charge — electricity
  12. race — the arms race
  13. charge — in control
  14. land — ground
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mark — a grade

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