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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. charge — in control
  3. last — to go on
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. last — finally
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. saw — the tool
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. race — the arms race
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. fine — high quality
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. race — humankind
  21. kid — child
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. race — a contest
  24. last — final

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