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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. charge — in control
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — an illness
  7. charge — electricity
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. swing — music
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. charge — a price
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cold — not warm
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. dip — to sink
  19. capital — a city
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wound — an injury
  22. capital — money
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. toast — bread

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