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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mark — a grade
  13. spell — letters
  14. rule — a law
  15. wind — moving air
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. charge — electricity
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rule — government
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. charge — in control
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. perch — the fish

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