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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. bound — certain
  4. last — to go on
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. last — finally
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. firm — a company
  13. spell — magic
  14. hand — help
  15. bound — tied together
  16. charge — a price
  17. last — final
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bound — obliged
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. hand — in cards
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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