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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pitch — completely
  6. drill — army training
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. drill — the tool
  11. date — the fruit
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. spring — of water
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. chair — a leader
  22. charge — a price
  23. rush — hurry
  24. can — a tin

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