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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. net — for catching
  5. band — a music group
  6. net — in sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spring — a coil
  14. suit — in cards
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — in control
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. charge — a price
  23. net — after costs
  24. nail — on a finger

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