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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. bound — tied together
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. clip — a video
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stock — goods
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stock — shares
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bound — certain
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. saw — the tool

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