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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. net — for catching
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pop — music
  5. last — to go on
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chest — of your body
  8. track — a path
  9. snap — to click
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. pop — to visit
  14. charge — in control
  15. last — finally
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. chest — a box
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. last — final
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pop — soda

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