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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. net — for catching
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pop — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lean — to bend
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. perch — the fish
  14. charge — electricity
  15. net — after costs
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. net — in sport
  18. mark — a trace
  19. charge — in control
  20. mark — a grade
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. game — wild animals

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