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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. net — after costs
  4. club — for dancing
  5. drill — a practice
  6. kid — to tease
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fine — high quality
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. drill — army training
  13. kid — child
  14. net — for catching
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. net — in sport
  17. club — for golf
  18. charge — a price
  19. drill — the tool
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. club — a group
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fine — all right

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