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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pop — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chest — of your body
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. object — to protest
  20. charge — in control
  21. pop — soda
  22. band — a music group
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wake — before a funeral

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