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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. spell — magic
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. charge — a price
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mug — a face
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. date — the fruit
  19. charge — in control
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — a cup
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spell — letters
  24. mug — to rob

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