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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. field — a subject
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — a price
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. band — a ring
  14. march — music
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. band — a music group
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. march — the month
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fan — to cool the air

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