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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. charge — in control
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cold — an illness
  5. present — the time now
  6. charge — a price
  7. present — a gift
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — there
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pass — a permit
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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