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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. charge — a price
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. charge — electricity
  9. row — to paddle
  10. season — in sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bass — low music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. charge — in control
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. row — a line
  22. bass — the fish
  23. date — the fruit
  24. present — a gift

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