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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. charge — a price
  3. wound — an injury
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. charge — in control
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. tube — a container
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bass — the fish
  22. charge — electricity
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bore — to tire

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