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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. present — a gift
  5. charge — a price
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mate — a friend
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. present — there
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mate — to breed
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. present — the time now
  21. fall — the season
  22. branch — a division
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bat — for baseball

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