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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wake — a trail
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. game — wild animals
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. charge — a price
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. content — happy
  17. drill — army training
  18. lean — thin
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. saw — the tool
  21. charge — in control
  22. lean — to bend
  23. content — the amount
  24. lean — to rest against

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