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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — final
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. charge — a price
  6. game — a match
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. present — there
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. court — for sport
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. current — electric
  17. charge — in control
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. lie — to recline
  23. present — the time now
  24. game — wild animals

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