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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. staff — a stick
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mug — a cup
  5. race — humankind
  6. mug — a face
  7. game — a match
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lean — thin
  13. race — a contest
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. staff — employees
  18. game — wild animals
  19. track — to keep track
  20. charge — in control
  21. staff — employees
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. race — the arms race

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