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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. row — a line
  3. roll — a cake
  4. club — for golf
  5. charge — a price
  6. club — a group
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cell — a phone
  11. can — a tin
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. can — a tin
  14. club — for dancing
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cell — in biology
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wake — a trail
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. roll — a list
  24. row — to paddle

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