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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mark — a grade
  6. season — in sport
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wind — moving air
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. season — of the year
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. capital — money
  21. rash — hasty
  22. capital — a city
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rash — a series

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