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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pit — a hole
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. last — to go on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. land — ground
  8. last — finally
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — to get on
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pit — in a race
  13. charge — in control
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. land — a country
  16. court — of law
  17. last — final
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. court — of a king
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. board — a committee
  23. court — for sport
  24. land — to come down

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