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 116 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. file — a document
  3. tear — to rip
  4. file — a tool
  5. charge — electricity
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. scale — size or range
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. file — a line of people
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. charge — in control
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. scale — in music
  24. calf — a young animal

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