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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. spell — magic
  9. roll — a list
  10. charge — a price
  11. spell — letters
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. charge — in control
  17. spell — a short time
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wind — moving air
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. roll — a cake
  24. nail — for a hammer

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