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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. last — to go on
  3. charge — a price
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. charge — in control
  7. last — final
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. roll — a list
  10. current — of water
  11. roll — a cake
  12. last — finally
  13. game — a match
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. charge — electricity
  16. scale — in music
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. current — happening now
  19. scale — size or range
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ball — a dance
  22. current — electric
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ball — a round shape

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