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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pass — a permit
  3. present — the time now
  4. cue — a signal
  5. present — a gift
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. land — a country
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. charge — in control
  12. present — there
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cold — an illness
  18. shower — rain
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. charge — a price
  22. land — to come down
  23. tube — a container
  24. shower — to wash

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