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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cell — in biology
  7. land — ground
  8. fall — to drop
  9. land — to come down
  10. fall — the season
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fall — to drop
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. charge — a price
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. land — a country
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mine — for digging
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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