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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ball — a dance
  3. roll — a list
  4. band — a music group
  5. spell — a short time
  6. object — an aim
  7. field — farmland
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. field — a subject
  10. band — a ring
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. ball — a great time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. field — for sport
  16. object — a thing
  17. spell — letters
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. spell — magic
  21. roll — a cake
  22. object — to protest
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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