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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. charge — electricity
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. file — a tool
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. club — a group
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lean — thin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. charge — a price
  15. file — a line of people
  16. charge — in control
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cold — not warm
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. club — for golf
  23. file — a document
  24. club — for dancing

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