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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. charge — electricity
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. charge — a price
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cell — a phone
  8. lean — thin
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. charge — in control
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. leaves — to go away

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