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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. court — of law
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. charge — a price
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rash — a series
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stand — to bear
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. charge — in control
  24. mouse — the 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