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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. charge — a price
  4. root — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — a country
  7. staff — a stick
  8. charge — electricity
  9. land — to come down
  10. club — a group
  11. pass — a permit
  12. root — of a word
  13. net — for catching
  14. club — for golf
  15. net — in sport
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. charge — in control
  20. club — for dancing
  21. root — the cause
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. staff — employees
  24. net — after costs

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