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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. charge — a price
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. charge — in control
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. last — final
  15. cell — in biology
  16. hand — in cards
  17. squash — to crush
  18. last — to go on
  19. hand — help
  20. pop — soda
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pop — music
  23. last — finally
  24. bank — for money

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