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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. key — in music
  5. chest — of your body
  6. spell — letters
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stock — goods
  9. fork — in a road
  10. chest — a box
  11. last — to go on
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. charge — a price
  17. spell — a short time
  18. key — for a lock
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stock — shares
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. last — final
  23. spell — magic
  24. charge — in control

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