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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. charge — electricity
  4. land — to come down
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. court — of law
  8. land — ground
  9. court — of a king
  10. rash — a series
  11. charge — in control
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wake — a trail
  18. court — for sport
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — a price
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pit — a hole
  23. land — a country
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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