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 120 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. charge — electricity
  3. drill — the tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. key — the most important part
  6. kick — in football
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. charge — a price
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. game — a match
  11. spell — magic
  12. key — in music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. spell — a short time
  16. deal — to handle
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. drill — a practice
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. game — wild animals
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. charge — in control

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