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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. shower — rain
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. present — there
  7. charge — a price
  8. ball — a dance
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. track — a song
  12. kid — child
  13. snap — to click
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. track — to keep track
  17. shower — to wash
  18. kid — to tease
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. charge — in control
  21. present — a gift
  22. charge — electricity
  23. track — a path
  24. present — the time now

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