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 116 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pound — a weight
  4. row — to paddle
  5. charge — in control
  6. land — ground
  7. object — an aim
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. face — to confront
  10. land — a country
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. object — a thing
  15. row — a line
  16. tear — from crying
  17. object — to protest
  18. face — part of the head
  19. land — to come down
  20. tear — to rip
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. face — to point toward
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. charge — a price

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